C & C Gaming News

Halo Kid Killed

2008-09-08T17:16:00.001-04:00

A Halo fan who found infamy on Youtube after filming himself imitating the game has accidentally killed himself in a Halo stunt.

11-year old-Nimm gained Youtube infamy after filming himself in homemade Master Chief outfits.

The boy from Johnson Creek, Wisconsin acted out exact game animations using cardboard armour and weapons. Nimm was at home, skipping school in order to practice his moves using a .22 rifle as a prop, when he apparently shot himself in the head by accident.

Police and paramedics responded, but the boy was pronounced dead 35 minutes after their arrival. Nimm had extensive knowledge of the Halo game, but unfortunately lacked the experience with real firearms. The blame has been placed on weapon control, but this incident will likely provide another argument against violent games.

(source)

This second installment of the Neverwinter Nights RPG's delighted in some ways, but in my opinion it was not any better than the first game

2008-09-07T18:44:00.004-04:00

First of all, I would like to say that regardless of the score I gave this game, I am still a fan of the Neverwinter Nights games. I suppose in some way I was expecting NWN 2 to be a better game than the original NWN, and maybe that was my fault to expect such a thing from game developers these days. There were some obvious improvements upon the first game, and I am yet to play the expansions that are out for NWN 2, so who knows, maybe I will be more impressed with them.

This time your foe is an evil bad-ass known as the King of Shadows, and he has every intention of turning Neverwinter and any other city he encounters into a pile of rubble. So once again, you and your party of loyal companions are called upon to save the lands of Faerun from impending doom.

Gameplay

-------------

I enjoyed playing this game, but I feel there were some areas that could have used some tweaking. Let's look at these points first, and then I will address the positive points.

Short game: The game only consisted of three Acts, as they were called. I know there are a couple of expansions already out, but I believe the initial game should be somewhat longer.

Camera hard to control: This was probably one of my most aggravating problems with this game. The camera control was done with the mouse, moving it back and forth, and moving the pointer to the edge of the screen to pan. The wheel (if you have one), could be used to zoom in and out upon your party members. The problem with this, was that most of the time the action went further than what I wanted, meaning that the pan usually kept on going past were I wanted to stop, and I could never seem to get the zoom to stop. It would keep zooming in or out on it's own. Now I know that within the options menu there are controls for mouse sensitivity that you can adjust, but I did that, and it did not seem to help.

Ending: This particular problem is not just an opinion from me, because if you check out any of the game forums online, most people on there will be complaining about this as well. Without giving away exactly how the game ends, I will just say that it does not end how most RPG's do, and this maybe why so many die hard RPG players have such a problem with it.

Now the positives about the gameplay mechanics.

New Prestige Classes: This game has expanded upon the concept of prestige classes that was first introduced in the Shadows of Undrentide expansion for the first game. Some of the new prestige classes include: Eldritch Knight, Neverwinter Nine, Shadow Thief of Amn, and Duelist. It's always nice to have more options within character development.

New Races: This game also expanded upon the number races to choose from. Some of the new races include: Sun Elf, Drow, and Svirfneblin.

Expanded Party Size: This game has expanded upon the size of your adventuring party, or the number of companions you are allowed to have. This number has been getting larger as the Neverwinter Nights games have progressed, and now this newest game expands it even further to the classic 4-member party. It's always nice to have more friends when dealing with demons and such.

Epic Storyline: As always, the Neverwinter Nights games seem to excel in this area. The story behind this game was exciting and kept your attention, without going over-board and taking away from other elements of the game. As before, you also had sub-plots going on with your companions that were fun to follow up on.

Challenging Combat: When it comes to combat in an RPG, I have always been one to want somewhat of a challenge, but not so over-powering to the point that I get disgusted and loose interest in playing. I am happy to say that NWN 2 had combat situations that were enough of a challenge to keep me on my toes, yet not seem over-whelming.

Sronghold Concept: I saved the best for last. This was probably my most favorite thing about the entire game. I have played other RPG's that had the concept of maintaining your own stronghold, or just having a place to call your own "turf", but I think this game took that concept even further, and added a whole other layer to it. In this game, you not only get a castle or a few buildings, but you get control of an entire village, complete with merchant shops, smithy shops, a church, farms, and of course a central castle. You also get your own personal sergeants that can be sent out on missions, while you are engaged in the main quest, and the really nice thing about this, is that you still get the spoils of these missions, which can include gold or very nice equipment. And of course you get first dibs on equipment being sold at the merchant shops. The best analogy that I can think of to describe this part of the game, is that it felt like I was playing a SimCity game within an RPG game. I was in charge of this large village, and I had to give orders to get things built and send people off on their individual jobs, and how you managed the keep (village), directly determined how well the villagers would respond to you. This is the most extensive stronghold concept I have seen to-date in any game, and I hope to see more in future RPG's.

Graphics

---------------

I know 3D graphics have been incorporated into games for quite some time now, but I personally have just been able to enjoy this, because of just recently getting a newer and upgraded computer. And I am "loving" it. The 3D graphics in this game are just amazing, absolutely breathtaking. Everything is richly detailed, the cities, the outlying areas, the characters, and much more. I did have to track down an updated driver for my graphics card, but once I did that, and downloaded it, the game worked fine.

Learning Curve

-------------------

This part of the game was dealt with in an acceptable manner. The very first part of the game was basically your tutorial mission, and it also worked into the main plot. There was also plenty of pop-up help menus and guides to answer any questions you might have along the way, and of course these hints could be switched off at any time if you start to get annoyed with them.

Sound

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The sounds in this game were excellent. Lots of ambient sounds and unique character voices. The background music, althought typical for an RPG, was still well put together. The movie cut scenes had sub-titles as well as dialogue, and I am sure there was some way of setting the sub-titles off, but I did'nt bother.

Replay Value

---------------------

Although I did have a few issues with this game, I would probably still play it again. I think ALL rpg's have some degree of replayabillity to them. If for nothing else, the simple fact that there is usually so much too explore, and with so many different character types to choose from, you can create a different character each time you play, and have a whole new experience with the game. Playing as a different kind of character is how I would approach my journey back into NWN 2.

Over-ALL Score : B+

Category scores: Gameplay A-, Graphics A+, Learning Curve B+, Replay Value B+, Sound A

Pros

-------------------------------
New Prestige Classes
Stronghold concept
Rich and detailed graphics
Epic storyline
Challenging combat
Expanded party size
New Races

Cons

-------------------------
Short Game
Camera hard to control
Ending

Link to Official NWN2 Site: http://www.atari.com/nwn2/US/index.php

Halo 3: Mythic Update

2008-09-05T01:44:00.002-04:00

So as you may read below, some screen shots of a Halo 3: Mythic emerged from PAX '08. People were buzzing with not much to go by beyond that it is 1.2 as oppose to the current 1.1 version. Then this week people how found out that there will be 30 new Halo 3 achievments coming so most gaming news outlets are assuming that they are the same update. More info when available!

Halo 4..... But By Who?

2008-09-03T13:43:00.002-04:00

As most know the iconic trilogy Halo has been done by Bungie Studios. They have split from Microsoft in order to take their focus off of Halo. So does that mean no Halo 4? No not at all, because Microsoft has the rights to the franchise and rumor in the industry is that another video game studio Gearbox is in talks with Microsoft to make halo 4 for the next Xbox! Gearbox has made Halo 1 for the PC so lets hope they dont screw this up; more info as this develops.

New Saints Row 2 Video; With Uncle Gary!

2008-09-01T20:07:00.000-04:00

Fallout 3 Achievement List

2008-09-01T18:18:00.001-04:00

Vault 101 Citizenship Award 10
Got the Pip-Boy 3000

The G.O.A.T. Whisperer 10
Took the G.O.A.T.

Escape! 20
Completed "Escape!"

Following in His Footsteps 20
Completed "Following in His Footsteps"

Galaxy News Radio 20
Completed "Galaxy News Radio"

Scientific Pursuits 20
Completed "Scientific Pursuits"

Tranquility Lane 20
Completed "Tranquility Lane"

The Waters of Life 20
Completed "The Waters of Life"

Picking up the Trail 20
Completed "Picking up the Trail"

Rescue from Paradise 20
Completed "Rescue from Paradise"

Finding the Garden of Eden 20
Completed "Finding the Garden of Eden"

The American Dream 20
Completed "The American Dream"

Take it Back! 40
Completed "Take it Back!"

Big Trouble in Big Town 20
Completed "Big Trouble in Big Town"

The Superhuman Gambit 20
Completed "The Superhuman Gambit"

The Wasteland Survival Guide 20
Completed "The Wasteland Survival Guide"

Those! 20
Completed "Those!"

The Nuka-Cola Challenge 20
Completed "The Nuka-Cola Challenge"

Head of State 20
Completed "Head of State"

The Replicated Man 20
Completed "The Replicated Man"

Blood Ties 20
Completed "Blood Ties"

Oasis 20
Completed "Oasis"

The Power of the Atom 20
Completed "The Power of the Atom"

Tenpenny Tower 20
Completed "Tenpenny Tower"

Strictly Business 20
Completed "Strictly Business"

You Gotta Shoot 'Em in the Head 20
Completed "You Gotta Shoot 'Em in the Head"

Stealing Independence 20
Completed "Stealing Independence"

Trouble on the Homefront 20
Completed "Trouble on the Homefront"

Agatha's Song 20
Completed "Agatha's Song"

Reilly's Rangers 20
Completed "Reilly's Rangers"

Reaver 10
Reached Level 8 with Bad Karma

Mercenary 10
Reached Level 8 with Neutral Karma

Protector 10
Reached Level 8 with Good Karma

Harbinger of War 20
Reached Level 14 with Bad Karma

Pinnacle of Survival 20
Reached Level 14 with Neutral Karma

Ambassador of Peace 20
Reached Level 14 with Good Karma

Scourge of Humanity 30
Reached Level 20 with Bad Karma

Paradigm of Humanity 30
Reached Level 20 with Neutral Karma

Last, Best Hope of Humanity 30
Reached Level 20 with Good Karma

Weaponsmith 30
Made one of every custom weapon

Doesn't Play Well with Others 20
Killed 300 people

Slayer of Beasts 20
Killed 300 creatures

Silver-Tongued Devil 20
Won 50 Speech Challenges

Data Miner 20
Hacked 50 terminals

Keys are for Cowards 20
Picked 50 locks

One-Man Scouting Party 20
Discovered 100 locations

Psychotic Prankster 10
Placed a grenade or mine while pickpocketing

The Bigger They Are… 20
Kill all the Super Mutant Behemoths

Yes, I Play with Dolls 10
Collected 10 Vault-Tec Bobbleheads

Vault-Tec C.E.O. 30
Collected 20 Vault-Tec Bobbleheads

Hands on With Halo 3 New Map Assembly

2008-08-31T18:02:00.001-04:00

(source)

5 New Fallout 3 Videos

2008-08-30T23:43:00.004-04:00

GOODY! Fresh outta PAX.

Escape

Megaton

The Wasteland

Super Duper Mart

Tenpenny

Halo 3 Mythic

2008-08-30T23:05:00.006-04:00

UPDATE: Bungie's Brian Jarrard explained that the Mythic picture was taken prior to the PAX kickoff and wasn't meant for public consumption. Jarrad then made it clear that the Mythic screen is "really not that exciting" and has "gotten kind of blown out of proportion." We attempted to get someone at Bungie to talk about it, but mum is the word

Here is a fresh screen shot from Bungie booth at PAX. It shows of an online only version of Halo 3 that I suspect is the expansion pack that Bungie hinted at in their last video. This is HUGE news that will rock the Halo world. There is not too much info now about what exactly it is but a few things we can see:

It is online only, no campaign options
It is version 1.2 (Halo 3 retail right now is version 1.1)

I will keep you posted on this when Microsoft has an official comment

(source)

Gears of War 2 Achievements

2008-08-29T21:21:00.002-04:00

Green as Grass Train the rook (any difficulty) 10
It's a Trap! Story progression in Act 1, Chapter 2 10
Escort Service Story progression in Act 1, Chapter 4 10
Girl About Town Story progression in Act 1, Chapter 6 10
That Sinking Feeling Story progression in Act 2, Chapter 4 10
Freebaird! Story progression in Act 2, Chapter 5 10
Heartbroken Story progression in Act 2, Chapter 6 10
Longitude and Attitude Story progression in Act 3, Chapter 3 10
Tanks for the Memories Story progression in Act 3, Chapter 4 10
Water Sports Story progression in Act 3, Chapter 6 10
There's a Time for Us Story progression in Act 4, Chapter 2 10
Better Wrapped in Beacon Story progression in Act 4, Chapter 3 10
Have Fun Storming the Castle Story progression in Act 4, Chapter 6 10
And the Horse You Rode in On Story progression in Act 5, Chapter 1 10
You Are the Support, Son Story progression in Act 5, Chapter 2 10
Brumak Rodeo Story progression in Act 5, Chapter 4 10
Does This Look Infected to You? Story progression in Act 5, Chapter 5 10
Tourist of Duty Complete all campaign acts on Casual Difficulty 25
Guerilla Tactician Complete all campaign acts on Normal Difficulty 50
Artist of War Complete all campaign acts on Hardcore Difficulty 75
Suicide Missionary Complete all campaign acts on Insane Difficulty 150
Collector Recover 5 collectibles (any difficulty) 5
Pack Rat Recover 20 collectibles (any difficulty) 15
Completionist Recover all 41 collectibles (any difficulty) 30
One-Night Stand Complete 1 chapter in co-op on any difficulty (Marcus or Dom) 10
Open Relationship Complete 10 chapters in co-op on any difficulty (Marcus or Dom) 30
Friends with Benefits Complete all acts in co-op on any difficulty (Marcus or Dom) 50
Once More, With Feeling Perform 30 perfect active reloads (any mode) 10
Takes a Licking Melee 30 Tickers (any mode) 30
Organ Grinder Kill 30 enemies with a cover mounted Mulcher (any mode) 10
Shock and Awe Kill 30 enemies with the heavy Mortar (any mode) 10
Said the Spider to the Fly Kill 10 enemies with a planted grenade (any mode) 10
Crowd Control Melee 10 enemies down with the Boomshield equipped (any mode) 10
Smells Like Victory Kill 30 enemies with the Scorcher Flamethrower (any mode) 10
Variety Is the Spice of Death Kill an enemy with every weapon in the game (any mode) 30
Seriously 2.0 Kill 100,000 enemies (any mode) 50
Standing Here, Beside Myself Win 3 matches of Wingman (public) 10
Beat the Meatflag Capture 10 meatflags in Submission (public) 10
It's Good to be the King Win 10 rounds of Guardian as the leader (public) 10
You Go Ahead, I'll Be Fine Win three matches of King of the Hill (public) 10
Back to Basic Successfully complete the 5 lessons of multiplayer Training Grounds 10
Party Like It's 1999 Play 1999 rounds of multiplayer (any mode) 30
Around the World, Again Win a multiplayer match on each map (any mode) 30
Dirty, Dirty Horde Survive the first 10 waves of Horde (any difficulty, any map) 20
Hoard the Horde Survive all 50 waves of Horde (any difficulty, any map) 30

New Far Cry 2 Trailer

2008-08-29T16:00:00.001-04:00

News and Notes

2008-08-28T21:35:00.002-04:00

A faulty Gears 2 achievement list was leaked today the real one will be released tomorrow and you know it will be on here.

A big Halo rumor flying around is that Gearbox will be working on Halo 4 and not Bungie.

A new Saints Row 2 video is out: Flying:

The Rockband DLC Album by Rush that was coming this week was delayed due to "Tech Difficulties", it was pushed back a few weeks

On the bright side it was announced that Rockband DLC will be getting full albums from such bands as: Megadeth, RHCP, Foo Fighters, Jane's Addiction and Stevie Ray Vaughn.

Metal Gear Solid 5 Confirmed

2008-08-28T11:27:00.000-04:00

In response to an interview question from Kotaku's Brian Ashcraft, former Kojima Productions assistant producer Ryan Payton let slip that work on Metal Gear Solid 5 is already underway.

There was no follow up question asked of Payton about further MGS5 details, but we do know most of the team behind MGS4 will be involved (sans Payton, obviously).

Said Payton of his recent departure from Kojima Productions: "It'll be hard not being involved in MGS5, but I've got the utmost confidence that Hideo Kojima, Ken Imaizumi, and our amazing team will put together another blockbuster game. I'll be cheering from the sidelines."

Well, now we know why Kojima couldn't pull the trigger in MGS4 and kill off Snake. Sequel money!

[Source]

Let's hope there is some more gameplay in this one.

Some New Trailers For Ya

2008-08-28T01:31:00.004-04:00

Mercenaries 2: World in Flames
Money

WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009
Back Stage Brawl:

Lego Batman
Alfred
Tomb Raider Underworld
Hunting Tigers

Thats a whole lotta video!

Prince of Persia Inside Look

2008-08-27T01:28:00.001-04:00

Brand new video diary about the new Prince of Persia game.

Halo Wars Box Art Released

2008-08-25T21:42:00.002-04:00

WOAH!!!

New Halo Online Update

2008-08-24T22:40:00.001-04:00

There are a lot of changes coming to Halo3 online on September 16.

In this week's update, Luke Smith informs us of these changes:

On September 16, the Halo3 title update will coincide with the Matchmaking playlist update.

Before we drill into the playlist specific changes, here’s the list of changes that will affect all of matchmaking:
* Added Epilogue – Epitaph with no Shield Doors. Added alongside default variant.
* Added Boundless – Snowbound with reduced Shield Doors. Added alongside default variant.
* Added Sand Tarp – Sandtrap sans Elephants, default team spawns switched in one-sided games. Added alongside default map variant.
* Added Pit Stop – The Pit with inaccessible spawn hives. Added alongside default map variant.
* Ghost Town – No longer appears in any symmetrical gametype.
* Team Slayer – Spawning configuration in default Team Slayer now includes a secondary weapon – the magnum
* Shishka is shuffling up the existing suite of playlists, moving things around, deleting others and adding some new playlists.

Lone Wolves
* Player count increases from six players to 8 players.

Team Objective
* Crazy King Hill times increased to one minute. Hill Movement set to Sequence (was Random).

Team Doubles
* This playlist now requires ALL content (Cold Storage, Legendary and Heroic maps are being used in Team Doubles)
* Objective Gametypes have had their appearance frequency reduced.
* Crazy King Hill times increased to one minute. Hill Movement set to Sequence (was Random).

Ranked Big Team Battle
* This playlist is retired.

Introducing Squad Battle
* Squad Battle is a Ranked six on six Playlist designed to fill some of the void left by excising Ranked Big Team Battle from the Halo 3 Playlists. Squad Battle gametypes are focused on Slayer and Capture the Flag and this playlist currently requires the Heroic Map Pack.

Big Team Social
* This playlist is retired.

Rocket Race
* This playlist is retired.

Multi Team
* Rocket Race has been added to the gametypes and set with a low weighting.

DLC Playlists
* Since Big Team was cut from Social, eight on eight action is reborn in the overhauled DLC playlists section of Matchmaking. DLC Slayer and Objective are both retired. These playlists require Halo 3 Downloadable Content (at least up through Legendary, but in the case of FFA, it requires all DLC) to participate.

DLC FFA
* This is an eight-player Free For All hopper focused on DLC content. The gametypes contained herein are a mix of Slayer, Objective and Infection modes.

DLC Big Team
* Eight on eight Social Slayer and Objective action (Gametypes from Big Team Social)
* Focused on DLC content (Requires both Heroic and Legendary Map Packs)

Team SWAT
* Objective Gametypes, SWATGuns set to skip after veto
* Weighting on all Objective games, SWATGuns and Magnums reduced
* Player Damage Resistance set to 150% (was 200%), players no longer spawn with grenades
* SWAT map variants now have Carbines and grenades available to pick up.

Head to Head
* This playlist is retired.

EDIT FOR NEW MAP INFO: “Purple Reign,” officially named “Assembly,” will be available to play (at PAX). This Covenant themed map is a symmetrical battleground, not too unlike Midship but a bit larger. (NOTE: This is NOT Midship nor is it meant to be a remake of Midship, it’s purple, but otherwise it’s all new and awesome).

(SOURCE)

(Shoutout to Tufo over at X3F for posting this)

HaHa

2008-08-24T14:42:00.001-04:00

This is the new front page video on Yahoo!
Video Games Bad?

Blasphemy!!!!

News and Notes

2008-08-22T15:20:00.003-04:00

There is a rumor flying around that the Arcade's price will be lowered at the holiday season to $199. That is not even the big news though. The BIGGER rumor is that it will include a motion controler.
Cliffy B announced that there will be Gears 2 DLC shortly after GOW 2's release. The DLC will be multilayer map focused
New Soul Caliber Demo is coming to the XBL arcade
Duke Nukem will be able to take and rewind videos during gameplay

Neverwinter Nights is a grand scale RPG

2008-08-21T11:52:00.004-04:00

Neverwinter Nights -- This is a HUGE RPG game that will take your character from an adventuring academy to sending him/her out to save the city of Neverwinter and the region of Faerun. The city of Neverwinter has been besieged by a plague, called the "Wailing Death", and the officials of the city have acquired magical creatures that might be able to provide a cure. The plague has taken thousands of lives already, and threatens to spread throughout the Sword Coast, therefore Neverwinter has closed its gates and permitted no one to leave or enter the city. Lady Aribeth, the matriarch Queen of Neverwinter, has issued a call to all adventurers to aid her in a search for a cure and to help enforce the quarantine.

The game starts at the Academy within Neverwinter, and this is pretty much where you receive your training for whichever character class you choose during creation. So this is the Training part of the game, and causes one of my complaints, in that I feel that there should have been a more detailed Training module, preferably a whole section that could have been accessed from the main menu. After you go through your training, the Academy is attacked and the Waterdavian creatures that Lady Aribeth had collected to help create a cure for the plague have been stolen. Aribeth requests to meet you, and you set off on your adventure to try to find the missing creatures so that her mages can perform the ritual that will create a cure.

There are six basic abilities that make up your character. They are Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. The alignment of your character will also need to be set, and as the game progresses, it will change according to your actions toward the races of Neverwinter. This alignment is rooted in concepts of good and evil, law and chaos. Before you begin your adventure, you must create a character to play. This process is known as Character Creation, and if you are eager to skip this section and start playing, then there is an option to choose a premade character, which will set-up all the specifics of a character class and send you on your way to an exciting adventure. I would personally suggest that you take the time to make your own character, because this gives you a feeling that your character is unique to your own likes and dislikes, therefore being more involved with your character and the adventure he/she is embarking on.

If you decide to create your own character, then these are the things you will be deciding:
1) Gender: Of course your options are Male or Female.
2) Race: There are seven playable races, and they are Human, Dwarf, Elf, Gnome, Half-Elf, Half-Orc, and Halfling. Each race will have Special Abilities like Darkvision, or Immunity to Sleep spells. Many will also require adjustments to ability scores, some good and some not so good. The Favored Class for each race will be listed as well.
3) Portraits: The game will have several pictures for you to choose from, some better than others.
4) Class: This is a VERY important part of Character Creation. Many things within the game will be determined by what type of adventurer you are, such as attack speeds, armor class, skills, and spell resistance. You can choose from the following classes: Barbarians, Bards, Clerics, Druid, Fighter, Monk, Paladins, Rangers, Rogues, Sorcerers, and Wizards. On the right side of the screen, important info will be listed about each of these classes, such as alignment restrictions, Hit Die, Proficiencies, and Skill Points. To make each class unique and worthwhile to play, this game incorporates Special Abilities that are specific to each class. Here is an example for each class: Barbarian -- Rage, Uncanny Dodge Bard -- Bardic Knowledge, Bardic Music Cleric -- Turn Undead, Spontaneous Cast Druid -- Woodland Stride, Nature Sense Fighter -- Bonus Feats Monk -- Flurry of Blows, Evasion Paladins -- Lay on Hands, Divine Grace Ranger -- Animal Companion, Favored Enemy Rogue -- Sneak Attack, Uncanny Dodge Sorcerer -- Summon Familiar Wizard -- Summon Familiar, Bonus Feats Many times during your adventure, these abilities can turn the tide of battle, and turn what may seem like a possible defeat to a stunning victory. One of my favorites is the Lay on Hands for the Paladin, in which he/she can actually heal themselves or companions. The Favored Enemy for the Ranger is very useful as well. He or she will gain damage bonuses when fighting this particular creature. The Sneak Attack for the Rogue make this class a very deadly fighter. When they use this ability during melee attacks, it deals extra damage. In addition to these abilities, there are also skills and feats that a character can master as the game goes on. Each time your character levels up, he or she will be given points to use on skills. Some skills are available only to certain classes, While others are available to all classes. Examples of skills include Discipline and Move Silently. The feats are used to really specialize your character. One is given at the time of character creation, and after that the frequency at which you gain a feat depends on the character class, but most of the time it is within 3 or 4 levels. Examples of feats include Ambidexterity and Extra Turning. For the players who prefer to dabble in the magical arts, Neverwinter Nights offers the following schools of magic: Abjuration (used to shield the caster), Conjuration (Summoned Allies), Divination (being able to anticipate), Enchantment (gain control of creatures), Evocation (manipulate energy), Illusion (alter perception), Necromancy (create or destroy life), and Transformation (transform the recipient).

In Neverwinter Nights, your NPC's or companions are referred to as "Henchmen". There will be six available for your use, and they can be found at a local tavern. I have always enjoyed the concept of NPC's as I think it can really help you in combat, since most of the time games can be extremely tough if you try to play them solo. The only problem I had with this game rule concerning "Henchmen", was that you were only allowed one at a time. But I was overjoyed to find out later in one of the expansion games that they expanded that number. It will be possible at times to also have a third ally. This will happen if you or one of your "Henchmen" have the ability to summon creatures or have the animal companion skill. Unfortunately you cannot control your "Henchman" inventory. This means that the weapons and armor that the "Henchmen" start the game with, will be the equipment that they must use throughout the entire game. But I will give you something to look forward too, and tell you that this changes when you play the expansion games. There is also another VERY unique feature to this game. At some point in the game, you will be given a recall stone, and this stone acts as a teleportation device that will automatically transport you to the temple within Neverwinter. Once there, you will have the chance to heal, and for a certain amount of gold, you can transport back to where you last used the stone. This can come in real handy during a difficult battle, and if you die during battle, the stone will transport you to the temple as well. If it was death that brought you to the temple, than you can resurrect (respawn) yourself, but this will cost you experience points and a fair amount of gold. There are tons of things to see and do in this game. Most of your experience points will be earned by completing quests and killing monsters. There are your main quests that drive the story, which is a VERY interesting one, and then there are plenty of side quests as well to keep you busy. The "Henchmen" have their own stories as well, so it would be wise to take the time to get to know them. They will have their own quest for you to help them with, and you might even receive some powerful objects in return for helping them out. As you mighht imagine, this fine game is not lacking in combat, and there are plenty of challenging monsters to fight. You can expect to encounter the following foes while traveling in Neverwinter: goblins, skeletons, zombies, vampires, trolls, rakshasas, golems, balors, and dragons. One very convenient feature that this game offers, is called the Quickbar. There will be 12 slots at the bottom of the gaming screen, and they represent the 12 function keys on your keyboard. This feature lets you drag any item from your inventory page, and place that item on any of the 12 slots located on the Quickbar. Anytime during gameplay you can use these items quickly by just pressing the corresponding function key on your keyboard. This makes for an excellent way of quickly using items, such as potions, magic rods, and magical harps.

The graphics are superb in this game. The cities and environments are extremely detailed, and you are pulled into a world that is vivid with colors and textures.

The sound is great, with plenty of ambient sounds, and a background music score that drives your party of adventurers toward their goal. There is also a wide variety of voices for your companions and many other NPC's you will meet in Neverwinter. During character creation, you will be given the chance to choose a voice track that will be used for your character.

The interface for this game is excellent, with everything being a mouse click away, and as I have already mentioned in other reviews, that is just how I like my RPG's. You will have access to many tools that will help you along your journey. There is a map that can be brought up at any time, and you can even keep it up during gameplay, and that was a very nice option. It pops up in the upper lefthand side of the screen and will stay there as long as you like. Your character portrait will be shown in the upper right hand corner of the screen, with options such as Journal, Quest Log, and Character Stats available right under it. Below that will be a smaller portrait of your "Henchman" and any summoned or familiar characters. Clicking on your character's portrait will bring up the inventory page. Neverwinter Nights offers an amazing amount of equipment that can be purchased from merchants or found during your adventures. When you bring up the inventory screen, you will be able to equip the following: helmet (protects the head), armor (covers torso and legs), cloak (can provide additional protection), belts (can enhance Strength and other attributes), boots (protects feet and can enhance speed), weapons (melee and ranged), shield (from bucklers to tower shields), rings, and amulets. There are also slots available for ranged weapon ammo, such as bolts, arrows, and bullets for slings.

The replay value is great because this is such a large game that there is no telling how many new areas or new objects can be found when you play it again.
There is a multiplayer option to this game, so that is another way that you could experience it all over again.

The gameplay is superb, with so many quests and monsters to battle in this game, you will be entertained for hours, and probably lose some sleep over it.....LOL

The learning curve is not that bad for this game, mainly because most everything you need is VERY easy to find, and can be found by clicking the icons on the gaming screen. What I have read in other reviews is that some people believe that the D&D rules and so forth could have been explained better, but most of that IS explained thoroughly in the manual, and all of those numbers and calculations are done automatically by the computer, so I do not see that this as an issue for this game.

Finally, there is one other VERY unique feature to this game that nust be mentioned in any review of it. I have not used this feature very often myself, but it is still a great addition to the game, and most gamers will say that this is what makes Neverwinter Nights stand out from all of the other RPG's. Included with Neverwinter Nights is a toolset that will actually let you build your own adventures. It uses the same tools and programs that the game designers used to make the single player campaign, and they offer it to you as well. You can create an entire world with it, and even be the Dungeon Master!!!!!!!! At the back of the manual, there is a section that tells you how to use this toolset, and then you will be on your way to creating adventures.

This is the biggest review I have ever written, so that should tell you how much there is too this game. I would HIGHLY recommend this game, and be prepared to spend hours, days, and maybe even months playing it. You might even forget going to work, or taking a bath. LOL

Congrats to All Olympians

2008-08-20T18:42:00.002-04:00

This is a little late but congrats to Michael Phelps and all of our olympians over at the Beijing Games.

Sony Pulling Out the Big Guns

2008-08-20T16:39:00.002-04:00

SCE America Announces Limited-Edition Uncharted: Drake's Fortune Bundle Featuring New 160GB PS3
PS3 Bundle Includes Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, PLAYSTATION Network Voucher for PAIN and DUALSHOCK 3 Wireless Controller, Offering Tremendous Value to Consumers.

August 20, 2008 - Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) today announced plans to introduce a new 160GB PLAYSTATION(R)3 (PS3(TM)) computer entertainment system in North America as part of the limited-edition Uncharted:

Drake's Fortune(TM) PS3 system bundle. The increased storage size enables entertainment enthusiasts to store even more movies, television shows, and games downloaded from PLAYSTATION(R)Network, as well as more videos, music, and photos from their personal collection. Slated to launch in November for $499.99 (MSRP), the 160GB PS3 system will come bundled with the hit game, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune(TM), a PLAYSTATION Network voucher for PAIN, and a DUALSHOCK(R)3 wireless controller. The previously announced 80GB PS3 system ($399.99 MSRP) has started shipping to retailers.

"As PLAYSTATION Network continues to evolve with our recently launched video delivery service and more exclusive games, PS3 owners are demanding more storage capacity," said Jack Tretton, president and CEO, SCEA. "Consumers also

are utilizing PS3 as an entertainment hub for their digital media, placing content such as their entire music collection on the hard drive. The 160GB PS3 system addresses this growing consumer demand in a compelling bundle that delivers significant value."

The Uncharted: Drake's Fortune PS3 bundle includes the following components:

-- 160GB PS3 system -- The 160GB PS3 is a complete entertainment system comprising a Blu-ray(TM) Disc player, HDMI output, an integrated Wi-Fi connection, and Cell Broadband Engine(TM).
-- Uncharted: Drake's Fortune -- A 400-year-old clue found in the coffin of Sir Francis Drake sets a modern-day fortune hunter, Nathan Drake, on an exploration for the fabled treasure of El Dorado, leading to the discovery of a forgotten island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The search turns deadly when Drake becomes stranded on the island and hunted by mercenaries. Outnumbered and outgunned, Drake and his companions must fight to survive as they begin to unravel the terrible secrets hidden on the Island.
-- PAIN PLAYSTATION Network Voucher* -- PAIN boldly tackles a rarely explored area of video-gam

ing ... comedy. The unique mechanic of the game allows the player to load a character into a human-sized, ultra-powerful slingshot, and fire the character into an active, physics-controlled environment, filled with precarious and humorous situations. Download PAIN from PLAYSTATION Store (Select Country/Region) to your PS3 system with the included voucher.
-- DUALSHOCK 3 Wireless Controller -- DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller provides the most intuitive game play experience with pressure sensors in each action button and the inclusion of the highly sensitive SIXAXIS(TM) motion sensing technology.

The additional storage space of the 160GB model will benefit consumers, as several highly anticipated PLAYSTATION Network and PS3 games along with add-on content will be available for download soon, including PAIN Amusement Park, Ratchet & Clank(R)Future: Quest for Booty(TM), SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation, and The Last Guy(TM). The bundle is also a great option for consumers who want to utilize PLAYSTATION Network's video delivery service, which offers new blockbuster movies and popular TV shows for download on an ongoing basis.

Holy Shit!

New Killzone 2 Multiplayer Trailer

2008-08-19T20:59:00.000-04:00

OMG OMG OMG
SO COOL
CANT WAIT

Duke Nukem Comming to XBL

2008-08-19T13:24:00.002-04:00

Duke Nukem has been officially confirmed as a game coming to the XBL arcade. Not too much news yet but here is a celebratory video.

The Godfather II Debut Trailer

2008-08-18T14:36:00.002-04:00

Just started playing the first game last week. Great title. Pick it up if you have not played it yet. The Second one looks better!!!! EA is shooting out some good games!

The Force Unleashed Demo Coming This Week

2008-08-17T16:52:00.003-04:00

The Force Unleashed Demo is hitting the Xbox Live Marketplace and the PSN Marketplace this week. You can try out unleashing your Sith anger this Thursday. Here is a little bit of info about the demo from PS3 Fanboy:

The demo takes place in one of the early levels in the game known as the "TIE Fighter Construction Facility" -- it's a level you've probably seen many times before in trailers. The mission briefing goes: a Jedi General named Rahm Kota is attacking and it's your job to dispose of him, but to do so in secret (read: kill everyone, no witnesses). That sounds promisingly evil and very much Sith-like. Let the dark side coercion begin.

A Few Blog News and Notes

2008-08-16T01:09:00.003-04:00

Hi all, just wanted to inform you that we have a new writer named Mitch and we may be adding other new writers as well. We needed to replace Joe because he is claiming that his Google account and I don't think he likes posting.
Also I got a profile picture that is also my sig on Xbox 360 Forum. Check it out and tell me what you think.

New Saints Row 2 and NBA 09 Video

2008-08-15T21:53:00.002-04:00

Saints Row 2- Sons of Samedi

NBA Live 09-

Not So Good Rockband DLC

2008-08-15T14:43:00.003-04:00

Rockband's DLC is getting hit by the 80's. I know what your thinking; that sucks and I agree with you. Devo (pictured below) and Duran Duran (pictured right) are each getting 2 songs on the marketplace each costing 160 MS points. We all know how 80's songs do in music games so why do they keep trying to force it? Here is the song list:

"Girl U Want" by Devo - 160
"Through Being Cool" by Devo - 160
"Girls on Film" by Duran Duran - 160
"Rio" by Duran Duran - 160
"Get Your Rock On" by The Janitors - 80

Griffball Double XP Weekend

2008-08-15T02:09:00.004-04:00

Its everyone's favorite time the weekend and you know what that means? It's a Halo double XP weekend and this weekend it is one of my favorites of the games; Griffball. Thats right now you get to be the Darren McFadden of halo by running that bomb up and down the field. So get ballin' kids this starts Thursday and double up your XP points. (I prefer the Hammer)

Elite Bundle 350!!!!

2008-08-14T12:40:00.003-04:00

Dell is selling an elite bundle with 2 games for only 350!!!

For only $349 with free shipping, United States Dell.com purchasers can grab an Xbox 360 Elite bundle complete with the console itself,Forza 2, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance and two additional faceplates. Though, to get the $349 pricing, you'll have to use a $100 off coupon code. To do this, simply head to Dell.com, click "Customize It", then click "Buy Now", then "Add to Shopping Cart". Now, once at the checkout screen, enter coupon code V8Q199$GCXJWL$ in the "Coupon Entry" field. Shazaam! The $449 price tag magically drops to $349. Note too that the coupon is only good through August 20th.

Halo 4?

2008-08-12T22:13:00.001-04:00

Avatar Customization Rumor

2008-08-12T02:30:00.002-04:00

Here are all the options for your new avatar that is rumored to be coming to the 360! Enjoy!

Rumored Avatar Customization Options
Hats:
Black Baseball Cap
Baseball Cap
Flat Cap

Hair:
Side Parting Hair (and with hat)
Slicked Parted Hair (and with hat)
Clean Cut Hair (and with hat)
Compact Hair (and with hat)
Crew Cut Hair (and with hat)
Slicked Hair (and with hat)
Ponytail Hair (and with hat)
Swept Hair (and with hat)
Flat Hair (and with hat)
The Captain Cut
Old Hair (and with hat)
Bun Hair
Thick Hair
Pig Tails
Hair Layered with Fringe Hair Tied On Top
Bob with Fringe Hair
Spiked Hair
Studious Hair Number 66
Shaped Hair
Basin Hair

Eyes:
Happy Eyes
Sharp Eyes
Half Moon Eyes
Focused Eyes
Harmless Eyes
Passive Eyes
Relaxed Eyes
Surprised Eyes
Soft Lashes
Restful Eyes
Monday Morning Eyes
Bold Eyes
Soft Eyes
Funky Eyes
Wild Eyes
Comforting Eyes
Droopy Eyes
Content Eyes
Slim Eyes
Excited Eyes
Eagle Eyes
Polite Eyes
Rested Eyes
Puppy Eyes
Rounded Eyes
Strong Eyes
Boxed Eyes
Thin Eyes
Studious Eyes
Tranquil Eyes
Dark Eyes
Dot Eyes
Tilted Eyes
Delicate Eyes
Almond Eyes
Wavy Eyes
Thick Lashed
Eyes Wide
Awake Eyes
Calm Eyes
Slender Eyes
Kind Eyes
Drowsy Eyes
Acorn Eyes
Sunset Eyes
Genial Eyes
No Features

Eyebrows:
Normal
Straight
Arched
Studious
Curvy
Large
Familiar
Thick
Small
Angled
Big and Flat
Delicate
Small and Thin
Short and Thick
Straight and Thick
Half Moon
Soft
Strong
Monobrow

Ears:
Fantasy Ears
Butterfly Ears
Round Ears
Elven Ears
Long Ears
Prominent Ears
Shapes Ears
Small Ears
Spiked Ears

Nose:
Define
Boxer's Nose
Curved
Drooped
Angled
Hooked
Bulbous
Large
Sharp
Perked
Rough
Rounded
Small
Straight
Long
Tiny
Wide
Soft

Mouths:
Spiked Puzzles
Gentle
Small and Rounded
Curvy
Deep Lips
Smirk
Grin
Vibrant
Unhappy
Cheeky
Lined
Cute
Fearsome
Tongue Out
Teethy
Full
Happy
Open
Bunny
Vampire
Wide
Small
Locked Teeth
Glamor
Thin Lipped
Square
Thick Lipped

Chins:
Jaw Stubble
Large
Thin
Long
Chiseled
Rounded
Sharp
Square
Small
Wide

Accessories:
Funky Shades
Hip Watch
Sports Wristband
Gold Ring
Silver Ring
Watch With Leather Strap
Plain Bracelet
Pink Bling Ring
Green Bling Ring
Cool Earrings

Tops Etc.
Zip-Up Jacket with Chain Power T-Shirt (Green)
Power T-shirt (Purple)
Red T-shirt
Polo Shirt
Studious Checkered Shirt
Blue Shirt Black Jacket with Zips Alt T-Shirt
Manly T-shirt
Cheap T-shirt
Green Flowered Vest
Tight T-Shirt (Orange)
Tight T-shirt (Blue)
Move T-Shirt Open Neck
Navy Top
Grey Shirt
Yellow Cardigan with Green Vest
Cowgirl Shirt
Black Crop Top with Sweat Bands
Short Brown Jacket Tight
Green Flowered Vest

Bottoms Etc.
Blue Jeans
Grey Skirt with Thread Detail Three Quarter Length
Camo Trousers
Short Frilly Black Skirt
Layered Black Skirt with Belt Denim
Short Shorts
Hawaiian Hotpants
Grey Jogging Bottoms
Turn-up Surfer Shorts
Fitted Black Trousers
Polkadot Skirt
Jeans with Pattern Detail
Jeans with Side Stitching
Beige Chinos
Brown Trousers
Faded Jeans
Navy Jeans
Brown Camo Jeans
Surfer Shorts

Shoes:
Formal Shoes
Orange Sneakers
White Trainers
Hiker Trainers
Brown Decks
Light Loafers
White and Red Trainers
Orange and Blue Trainers
Dark Brown Decks
Sky Blue Decks
Orange Decks
Pink Decks
Brown Sandals
Black Boots with Buckle
Sports Trainers

Gender and Basic Options:
Male Body
Female Body
Male Body Head
Texture Head

Neutral Animations:
Closet Examine
Lower Closet Examine
Shoes Closet Examine
Upper Closet
Spin Animation
Creator Walk On
Creator Walk Off
Creator Look Down
Creator Look Left
Creator Look Neutral
Creator Look Right
Creator Look Up
Creator Turn Left
Creator Pick Me Start
Creator Pick Me Stop
Creator Pick Me
Generic Clap
Generic Stand 0
Generic Stand 1
Generic Stand 2
Generic Wave
Generic Celebration

Male and Female Animations:
Angry
Confused
Idle Looks Around
Idle Check Nails (female only)
Idle Shifts Weight (female only)
Idle Stomp Spider (female only)
Idle Stretch (male only)
Idle Turn Around (male only
Laugh
Sad Cry
Shocked Surprised
Yawn

Fable 2 Achievements

2008-08-11T11:48:00.001-04:00

The Paragon -15g

Reach 100% Good or Evil.

The New Hero -50g
Defeat your first great opponent.

The Whippersnapper -25g
Collect 5 gold pieces during the Hero's childhood

the Pooch Pamperer -5g
Play fetch with your dog.

The Archaeologist -5g
Dig up something your dog has discovered

The Dog trainer -5g
teach your dog a trick.

The persuader -5g
Convince a villager to give you a present

The Show-off -5g
Impress a villager with a perfect expression

The Romantic -10g
take a villager on a perfect date.You will need the right location and expression.

The spouse -10g
Marry a villager.

The Parent -10g
have a child.

The hunter -5g
Kill a sweet,innocent,fluffy bunny rabbit(remember,safety's off!)

The Gargoyle -25g
Find the gargoyles Legendary Treasure.

The Chicken kicker -5g
kick a chicken a respectable distance. As if kicking chickens was remotely respectable.

The Cliff Diver -5g
Cliff dive 500 feet.

The Workhorse -10g
Get a high enough chain while performing a job.

The Hero of Many names -5g
Change your heros title

The Teaser -5g
Get bandits to respond to expressions with fear,anger,mirth,and confusion. During combat!

The property magnate -10g
Sell a property for twice the price you paid for it.

The Rogue -5g
something undetected from a building while there are people nearby.

The Illustrated hero -5g
Tattoo every part of your hero's body.

The Executioner -10g
Sacrifice 10 people in the Temple of Shadows.

The Gambler -10g
Win 500 gold at a pub game in one sitting, having tried each game type at least once.

The Bigamist -10g
get married a second time, whilst still married to your first spouse.

The Swinger -5g
Take part in a orgy, responsibly

The Pied Piper -10g
Start a party where at least 5 villagers are dancing.

The Party Animal -10g
Get 15 villagers drunk in under three minutes

The menace to Society -5g
Commit an act of public indecency

The Black Knight -10g
Shoot the weapons from a hollow man's hands, blow off his head and then kill him for good!

The Duelist -10g
String together a full-speed chain attack

The highwayman -10g
hit 3 enemies with one shot.

The Archmage -10g
Kill 5 human enemies with one spell.

The Ruler of Albion -100g
Increase the value of your real estate holdings to over 2.5 million gold!

The Hoarder -25g
Collect every silver key.

The Goth -5g
Dye your hair black, wear an outfit made entirely out of black clothes, and wear some black makeup.

The Completionist -50g
Get all expressions, pet tricks, titles and abilities.

The Extremist -15g
Reach 100% purity or corruption.

The celebrity -50g
Reach 50,000 Renown.

The Artisan -10g
Succeed at one job to Level 5

The Dollcatcher -10g
Collect all the hero dolls.

The Muse -5g
Inspire the Bard to compose songs celebrating your great deeds.

The Companions -10g
Perform a perfect co-op expression.

The blood brother -10g
get a co-op combat bonus.

The Philanthropist -10g
Send a gift to an xbox live friend.

The Hero of strength -100g
Complete the Hero of Strength

The hero of Will -100g
Complete the Hero Of will.

The hero of Skill -100g
Complete the hero of Skill

The Sacrifice -25g
Choose "The needs of the many"

The Family -25g
Choose "The needs of the few"

The Egomaniac -25g
Choose "The needs of the one"

New World at War and Saints Row 2 Videos

2008-08-10T11:35:00.003-04:00

COD World at War

I AM SO TIRED OF WW2 (sorry grandpa)

Saints Row 2: Brotherhood

Rock Band 2 Achievements

2008-08-08T20:58:00.006-04:00

Rock Band 2 releases in just over a month, that means it's time to get ready. New games mean new achievements. Here is the whole list, everything you have to do to get the full 1000 points.

Name	Acheivement Description	Points
Solid Gold, Baby!	Gold star any song.	25
Flawless Fretwork	100% a song on Expert guitar.	25
Flawless Drumming	100% a song on Expert drums.	25
Flawless Singing	100% a song on Expert vocals.	25
Flawless Groove	100% a song on Expert bass only using up-strums.	25
Flawless Guitar Solo	100% a guitar solo using only the solo buttons.	20
The Bachman-Turner Award	Maintain deployed Overdrive for 90 seconds.	25
Million Point Club	Earn more than 1,000,000 points in a single song.	25
Bragging Rights	Defeat a player in either Score Duel or Tug of War.	15
Comeback Kid	Defeat the last player beat you in either Score Duel or Tug of War.	15
Band Savior	Be a savior 3 times during one song.	20
Hello Cleveland!	Deploy Vocal Overdrive 4 times in a single song.	20
Overdrive Overdose	Achieved an 8x Band Multiplier	25
Got Wheels	Won a Van in World Tour	20
Open Road	Won a Bus in World Tour	20
Jet Setter	Won a Jet in World Tour	20
Worldwide Sensation	Gain the ability to play around the world	25
West Coast Performer	Played a set on the West Coast of North America	10
God Save the Band	Played a set in the United Kingdom	10
Heartland Performer	Played a set in Middle America.	10
Western Europe Performer	Played a set in Western Europe.	10
East Coast Performer	Played a set on the East Coast of North America	10
Eastern European Performer	Played a set in Eastern Europe.	10
Road Dog	Played in every venue in the world	30
One Million Fans	Reached 1 million fans in Band World Tour	30
SECRET	This is a secret achievement regarding progression.	20
SECRET	This is a secret achievement regarding progression.	20
SECRET	This is a secret achievement regarding progression.	30
SECRET	This is a secret achievement regarding progression.	50
SECRET	This is a secret achievement regarding progression.	25

News and Notes

2008-08-08T11:39:00.007-04:00

Amazon started pre-sale on the replica lancer. It will run you $139 but it comes with a copy of Gears of War 2. Add an extra $10 and you can get the limited collectors edition. It looks pretty sweet

Realtime World is regretting on not immediately getting to work on Crackdown 2 after the first Crackdown release. The door is not shut though, Realtime is trying to get Microsoft to wave the flag on a Crackdown sequel now.
In the Fable Collectors edition players will also get access to play as a medieval Master Chief character (seen right >). Wow now I might just need to get the Fable 2 special edition.
Also I am going away until sunday so the blog posts are all up to the newbie Brent. Let's hope he can live up to the challenge :).

Madden 09 Acheivements Released

2008-08-07T23:33:00.003-04:00

Here is the link.

Achievement whores start whoring.

PS3 Bioshock Trailer Released

2008-08-07T20:30:00.003-04:00

It looks like 2K has cleaned the game up a little bit for the PS3. Take a look:

Rapture Awaits Trailer

Fable 2 Release Date: Oct 21th

2008-08-07T14:16:00.003-04:00

Lionhead released today that Fable 2 will be released on the 21th of October. They also released what will be included in the limited collectors edition. The Collectors edition will sell for 80$ and will include a few goodies for those Fable fanboys. It will include:

Bonus DVD
Bonus in-game content
5 printed "Fate Cards"
48-hour Xbox LIVE trial card
Collectible Hobbe Qee figurine (you remember Qees, don't you?).

The Fable 2 pub games will be released on the marketplace on August 13th and will run you for 800 MS points. Those who reserve the game (at select retailers) will get them free of charge. I don't think that I will be getting the Limited Edition. I am just going to stick with the normal one.

GRID - Xbox 360 - My Review

2008-08-07T00:09:00.003-04:00

Today, I picked up Codemaster's GRID, their newest edition to the racing scene. Overall, the game is great. Here are some key points I'd like to point out.

Graphics
They're as crisp as a burnt piece of toast. Everything you see looks absolutely stunning; from the details of the cars, to the road, trees and other scenery, the game inspires you to keep on playing.

Menus
The menus are simple, yet elegant; Small, yet in-depth. I personally love the menu system. Everything it right where it needs to be and easy to find.

Racing Physics
I'd say GRID is a mix between Forza 2 and Need for Speed in this department. Your car is easy to drive, yet has the real effects of an actual car. Hit the gas too hard coming out of a turn, and you'll be doing a 360 faster than you can say "My great aunt has thunder thighs."

Overall, I'd give this game a 8/10. It feels right, looks great, but the lack of car customization takes away from the games true possibilities.

Warhawk Trophies Announced

2008-08-06T18:10:00.004-04:00

The popular online PS3 game Warhawk is getting trophies. Thats right and from the looks of the trophy arial ballet they will be also adding a Jetpack. Also the trophy Secret Safety Violation tells of a new level! Here is the compete list of trophies:

Bronze Trophies

Secret Anti-Camper -- Kill an enemy in a Missile or Flak Turret after that enemy has achieved at least five kills in that type of turret.
Secret Daredevil -- Get 100 feet off the ground in a ground vehicle. Does not count if the vehicle is being carried by a Dropship.
Secret Hit List -- Kill every member of the opposing team at least once during a round.
Secret Minesweeper -- Get killed by Proximity Mines five times in a single round.
Secret Reckless -- Pilot Commit suicide in a Warhawk by running into your own Aerial Mine.
Secret Vengeance -- Kill an enemy within 60 seconds of that enemy killing you.
Secret What's That Green Line? -- Get killed by a Binoculars strike while piloting an aircraft.
Anti-Air Ninja -- Shoot down a Warhawk with any infantry weapon other than a Rocket Launcher.
Bandit Award -- Earn all in-game badges at Bandit level.
Chief Sergeant -- Achieve a rank of Chief Sergeant.
Collector -- Capture four cores at once in Collection mode.
Combat Driver -- Complete Vehicle Combat Training.
Cowboy -- Play a perfect Team Deathmatch (top player, no deaths).
Dead-Eye -- Achieve a sniper kill from more than 2,500 feet away.
Dumbfire -- Destroy an enemy aircraft with a dumbfired Swarm or Homing Missile.
Emergency Evasion -- Break at least 6 simultaneous missile locks using Chaff.
Enlistee -- Join a clan.
Ground Pounder -- Complete Ground Combat Training.
Hat Trick -- Get three flag captures in a single round of CTF.
How Did You Do That? -- Destroy an enemy aircraft with a Cluster Bomb.
Invincible -- While on foot, take at least 250 damage within 10 seconds without dying.
Irony -- Kill an enemy with his own Proximity Mine.
Lone Wolf -- Play a perfect Deathmatch (top player, no deaths).
One In A Million -- Shoot down an enemy aircraft using the tank's main cannon.
Overkill -- Destroy an enemy aircraft with a volley of 8 Swarm Missiles.
Pilot's License -- Complete Warhawk Combat Training.
Recognition of Merit -- Earn any five in-game medals
Remote Pilot -- Destroy an enemy aircraft with a TOW Missile.
Resourceful Driver -- Achieve a road kill and a .50 cal kill using the same 4x4, without dismounting.
Rivalry -- Win a clan match (red server) as either clan leader or a regular member.
Saboteur -- Destroy an enemy vehicle with the Field Wrench.
Survivalist -- Survive for one minute as the hero in Hero mode.
Tail Shaker -- Destroy an enemy aircraft with an Aerial Mine within 5 seconds of deploying it.
Taxi Driver -- Help a teammate capture the flag (in CTF) or cogs (in Collection) by transporting him back to the base, using any vehicle.
Warlord -- Create a clan and get nine other members to join. (Awarded at ten members while you are the clan leader.)
World Victory -- Control all capturable bases in a Zones match, and reduce the enemy's home base to level 1.

Silver Trophies

Secret Canyon -- Run Using a Warhawk, shoot down an enemy Warhawk in the central gorge in Vaporfield Glacier.
Secret King of the Jungle Gym -- Retrieve the Proximity Mines from the top of the dome on the Omega Factory Rumble Dome layout.
Secret Safety Violation -- Kill a distant enemy from on top of the salvage crane in Tau Crater.
Aerial Ballet -- While flying a jetpack, kill an enemy (who is also flying a jetpack) with any weapon other than the Rocket Launcher.
Are You Aim-Botting? -- Snipe an enemy who is flying a jetpack.
Behind Enemy Lines -- Drive an APC into the enemy's home base, then have at least one teammate spawn into that APC.
Commander -- Achieve a rank of Commander.
Decorated Soldier -- Earn any 15 in-game medals.
Flying Fortress -- Awarded to the driver and all six passengers of a fully-loaded Dropship.
Giant Killer -- Shoot down an enemy Dropship while using a Warhawk.
Lt. Colonel -- Achieve a rank of Lt. Colonel.
Master Award -- Earn all in-game badges at Master level.
Shield Breaker -- Break an enemy E-POD shield using the Lightning Shell.

Gold Trophies

Bandwidth Donor -- Host a ranked dedicated server for four consecutive hours.
Executive Honor -- Earn all in-game medals.
General -- Achieve a rank of General.
Porcupine -- Destroy an enemy Warhawk with the APC's E-POD shield.
Surgical Strike -- Shoot down a Dropship with a Binoculars strike.
That Was Some Bug -- Kill an enemy who is flying a jetpack by hitting him with any vehicle or aircraft.
Warhawk Award -- Earn all in-game badges at Warhawk level.

Platinum Trophy

Warhawk Supreme Achievement -- All your base trophies are belong to platinum.

I am buying Warhawk now :)

This patch will launch August 27th

New Square Enix Video

2008-08-06T13:11:00.002-04:00

Here is some fresh Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts footage. Enjoy!

My New Baby: PS3

2008-08-05T22:27:00.004-04:00

Hey guys! Today is a good day, picked up a PS3 from Gamestop today along with Resistance and Metal Gears Sold 4. Now that I am a proud PS3 owner (I also own the 360(duh) and the Wii) I have all of the gaming consoles covered so this blog with have a few more Ps3 based stories now as well. My PSN is ProfessorChaos7. Here is a picture of the latest edition to my gaming setup.

GTA4 Pulled From Shelves in Thailand

2008-08-04T23:39:00.002-04:00

After Polwat Chino, an 18 year old high school student, robbed and killed a 54 year old taxi driver, he was taken into custody. He told investigators that he "wanted to find out if it was as easy in real life to rob a taxi as it was in the game."

Sweet Gears Case Mod

2008-08-04T17:50:00.005-04:00

Not too much news today. Just thought I would share a sweet Gears case mod I came across over on X3F. Here it is:
Wicked Cool
Mad Props to Spectrax over at X3F (it is his first case mod)

Xbox Games Release Dates List UPDATE

2008-08-04T12:23:00.001-04:00

Ign updated its upcoming games release dates list for the 360. Here is the link. Thats a whole lot of games.

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2

2008-08-04T01:43:00.005-04:00

The best way to one-up your predecessor is of course, to pack in some more goodies for people to play with, and Retro Evolved 2 does just that. With 6 game modes, you'll spend a good amount of time just trying to unlock them. Then sharpening your skills in each mode will have you coming back for more.

The first game mode is EVOLVED. The same game mode you've come to love in the first installment. Three lives, three bombs, and a never ending army of enemies.

Next, comes PACIFISM. In this mode, you are not allowed to shoot. Instead, you must cross through checkpoint gates to destroy your enemies.

WAVES mode, as seen in PGR4 brings enemies from all sides, coming in at you as you shoot away to destroy them all.

SEQUENCE mode brings 20 challenges that you must complete in order, in 30 second intervals.

In mutliplayer, the action gets even more intense with random power-ups, including: speed, freeze and extra firepower. All six game modes can be played with 3 other local players, including 2-v-2 team play, and individual scoring. There will be no online play included, which is saddening to see, since GW has set the limits for the XBLA.

The visuals look better, the controls smoother, and you no longer lose your multiplier when you die. How could this get any better? Having played the first installment of this series, and testing out the demo of the second edition, I recommend anyone to pick this up.

We Have A New Author

2008-08-04T01:34:00.001-04:00

Brent is our newest author here at C & C Game News. We are glad to have him aboard.

Soul Caliber IV

2008-08-03T18:16:00.001-04:00

McCain vs O'Bama....

To celebrate the release of Soul Caliber IV here is a funny video.

New Halo Game Creative Director Job Opening

2008-08-02T17:50:00.003-04:00

Microsoft is looking for a new Creative Director to head up its new Halo project. Here is the listing:

Micro

soft Game Studios’ Halo team is looking for a superstar Creative Director to help develop a ne

w experience in the Halo universe. This is your chance to contribute to one of the most exciting and creative properties in the entertainment industry.
The Creative Director for this team will need to define and drive a vision that takes a beloved IP and delivers a new and innovative experience. The ide

al candidate is a source of inspiration, leadership, creative focus, and most importantly, is a guiding light for the project team. Boundless imagination is balanced with a deep understanding of the game develop

ment process; the ability to ideate is combined with the communication skills to concisely direct. And yeah, you have to have be

en around the block… a lot.

RESPONSIBILITIES
As Creative Director, you will work with the Executive Producer and other team leads to define the game vision and execute on that vision with excellence.
Direct the tone and timber of the project w

ith an eye towards compelling character development, visionary narrative progression, and addictive ga

meplay
Partner with key Hollywood talent to collaboratively craft a masterful game experience
Bridge the g

ap between storytelling and the interactive experience while delivering on the Halo soul.
Collaborate with game play designers, story writers, game writers, and said external luminary to deliver on a unique game in the

Halo universe
Set clear creative goals and deliverables; lead and focus efforts across the design team to ensure a cohesive experience across the game
Anticipate threats to quality and innovation an

d work effectively with the team leads to mitigate
Build and maintain a collaborative relationship with Art, Dev, Audio, and Production that ensures a best-in-industry

production process.

Quentin Tarantino is the lead candidate for the job. He says he wants the player to play the game from end and work back to the beginning. (not really (for the gullible people)

Everything I Know About Gears 2

2008-08-02T12:29:00.003-04:00

Gears 2:

Developer: Epic Games
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Design Director: Cliff Bleszinski
Genre: Third-Person Tactical Shooter
Game Engine: Enhanced Unreal Engine 3
Platform: Microsoft Xbox 360
Release Date: November 7, 2008

-SECTIONS-

I. Campaign
II. Multiplayer
III. Game Modes
IV. Maps
V. Characters
VI. Weapons
VII. Executions
VIII. Vehicles
IX. Enemies
X. Game Mechanics

I. CAMPAIGN

-Darker, emotional storyline
-Longer campaign mode
-'Bigger, Better, and more badass!'
-Most of the campaign takes place in the Locust underworld. About 30% of the battles take place underground
-Squad commands (Attack/Regroup/Hold position) have been removed
-Character-specific storylines (Doms search for his wife, Dizzy representing the Stranded, etc.)
-New technology allows for hundreds of Locust on-screen
-More vehicular sections were promised
-One vehicular level has you driving a tank through an icy environment
-Takes place six months after the deployment of the lightmass bomb
-The deployment of the bomb caused the Imulsion to turn gaseous, which affected the citizens of Jacinto with a disease called 'Rust Lung'
-Standard CoG soldiers (redshirts) will now aid you in numerous battles. Something that was missing in the first Gears of War
-The campaign is set in the winter. Expect a lot of snowy levels
-Side characters will have more of an involvement to the story
-Will have a good variety of locations and environments ranging from 'the deepest depths of the underground to the highest snow-capped peaks'
-Reavers and Brumaks are rideable

II. MULTIPLAYER

-Multiplayer battles are now 5v5 for a total of 10 players in a single map
-Multiplayer bots are confirmed to be in
-Improved online functionality
-Will include matchmaking
-Players can now vote for the maps they want to play in
-Will NOT include dedicated servers
-Four-player co-operative play is not available in Gears of War 2
-New online optimizations to reduce issues such as 'host advantage'
-On games with no respawn, you can fly around as a ghost cam and view the battles in any direction
-Ability to upload user-submitted images to the web
-Specific leaderboards for user-submitted images
-Images will be scored based on how many particle effects are on the screen, how close to the center the characters are, if there is an execution going on, how much blood there is on the screen, etc.
-You have the ability to edit your saved images before uploading
-The ability to save films is NOT available in Gears of War 2
-Live on-screen damage ticker that tracks damage points is possible
-Altered MP achievements. "If you're going for headshots, you get one headshot that counts and any other headshots won't count towards your Achievement, so players don't just play to get headshots the entire round just to get Achievements."
-Achievement progress has now been simplified & will be tracked in real-time which is viewable through a menu
-Each player can play in a different difficulty setting in co-op
-Weapons now rotate between every round. Boomshot will rotate with the Scorcher Flamethrower, Torque Bow with Longshot, Frag Grenades with Poison Grenades and Boltok Pistol with Gorgon Pistol.
-Players now have the opportunity to spawn with either the Lancer or the Hammerburst
-Once grabbed as a meatshield, you are considered dead
-Players will no longer get booted to the menu once the host changes the options or game mode
-The game does not allow for customizable characters
-The game does not allow for customizable weaponry
-There are three different Stranded models for Submission
-Will include a party system
-No clan support. Might change at a later date
-Teammate icons pop up in your HUD whenever you respawn to signify their location

III. GAME MODES

-Assassination renamed and altered. Now known as 'Guardian'. Every player can respawn until the leader has been killed. The team with the remaining players is the winner
-Wingman is a new game mode focused on 2v2v2v2v2 (10 players split into teams of 2) battles. Each team will take control of the same character model. For example: Dom/Dom Vs. RAAM/RAAM Vs. Carmine/Carmine Vs. Drone/Drone Vs. Marcus/Marcus
-CTF game mode called 'Submission'. The flag is an AI controlled Stranded character wandering around the center of the map. That character has his own weapons and even a place on the leaderboard. To capture him; you will need to down him first, then pick him up as a meatshield, and take him back to your base. If you shoot the 'meatflag' enough times while he's being dragged back to the enemies' base, his captor will lose him and he'll go berserk on everyone around him. Respawning and stats for the amount of kills the AI-controlled 'meatflag' will appear on the intermission leaderboard. Respawning occurs in this mode, but the more that you die; the longer you'll have to wait until you get back into the action. The scoring in this gametype will move around to different random locations after a while.
-New survival mode called 'Horde' where up to 5 players take on waves of Locusts. The difficulty increases with each wave. This mode uses the 'Horde effect' where the engine can process a ridiculous amount of enemies on-screen
-Classic Warzone returns for Gears of War 2
-Players can revive eachother up to six times in the Wingman game mode
-Shipping with at least 7 game modes
-Execution returns for Gears of War 2
-Annex returns for Gears of War 2

IV. MAPS

-Shipping with 12 maps. More than the original game
-Improved Gridlock makes a return
-Subway makes a return
-New map called River. Each team has a thin strip of land with a cottage and sniping tower. Between them is a river separated by a bridge crossing it. Underneath the bridge is a power weapon. It is based on an area called Landown
-New map called Security. To the left and right are stairs leading to verandas that run the entire length of the map. You are barred access by red lasers, which will kill you if you attempt to pass through. A power weapon is barred on the other side of the map while the other end is defended by sentry guns. There is a button in the middle of the map that turns off the lasers and sentries for 20 seconds
-New map called Day One. It is a war-torn city-based map with an emergence hole in the center where a Seeder or Rockworm will pop up and cause an earthquake from time to time
-New map called Avalanche. Snow-based level with a unique environmental hazard. True to its name, an Avalanche could occur at any time an alarm sounds to bury the unsuspecting beneath the snow
-Early Adopter Tax maps (buy now, get it free after a set amount of time)
-Original Gears maps set for DLC is confirmed
-Some maps have environmental hazards which force players to stay in one particular area in order to keep themselves alive

V. CHARACTERS

-Marcus Fenix returns as the main character in the campaign mode. Also available in MP
-Dominic Santiago returns as a part of Delta Squad in the campaign mode. Also available in MP. Player two controls Dom in co-op
-Damon Baird returns as a part of Delta Squad in the campaign mode. Also available in MP
-Augustus Cole 'Train' returns as a part of Delta Squad in the campaign mode. Also available in MP
-Anthony Carmine returns for MP
-Anthonys brother (Benjamin Carmine) is a character in the campaign
-Luitenant Kim returns for MP
-Colonel Victor Hoffman returns as the commander of Delta Squad. He is a playable MP character
-Tai Kaliso is a new member of Delta Squad in the campaign mode and is available in MP
-Dizzy Wallin is a new member of Delta Squad in the campaign mode and is available in MP. He is a former stranded and drives the Derrick. He is also a part of Operation Lifeboat, a program that enlists regular people in exchange for protecting their families
-Atleast one more CoG soldier called Jay Stratton will make an apearance
-Dom's wife, Maria is a huge part of the campaign
-Chairman Richard Prescott, making his first appearance in Gears of War 2 is the dictatorial military leader of the CoG
-Anya Stroud is the only female member of the CoG. She returns for the campaign mode to assist you whenever possible
-Jack, the all-purpose robot returns for the campaign mode
-Franklin, a stranded returns for the campaign mode and for the Submission game mode
-CoG soldiers (including Carmine) have a redesigned helmet

VI. WEAPONS

-New chainsaw duels
-Player is no longer invincible while chainsawing. Attacks can be interrupted in mid-duel
-Two people can chainsaw one person
-The Lancer has a longer barrel that extends a bit farther than the chainsaw attachment, blue targeting cross-hair on the iron sights, new muzzle flashes, and firing sound effects. Also, new active-reload HUD display animation were seen for the Lancer and Hammerburst
-The limited edition version of the game has an exclusive code to unlock a gold Lancer assault rifle for online play
-Retooled Hammerburst sounds beefier and has the ability for semi-automatic. It now has a barrel extension. The faster you tap the the right trigger, the faster it fires. However, with the faster fire rate comes more recoil. It is more accurate at longer range and does more damage than the Lancer
-New weapon called the Gorgon Burst Pistol. Semi-automatic pistol that fires in 6-round bursts
-Stopping power. If you're running towards an enemy and he is firing straight into your chest, you will slow down. Every weapon will have a different degree of stopping power
-Grenades can be stuck anywhere; not just on enemies. They can be planted on the ground, walls, doors, etc. to produce a proximity mine
-Players can shoot and destroy the planted grenades from a distance
-Smoke grenades now carry a concussive stun effect that ragdolls anyone within its blast radius and knocks any shields from their hands
-Shotgun remains unchanged, except that it now fires slower
-Active reloads have been expanded. Different weapons have a different active reload effect
-Longshot no longer downs after a successful active reload
-Poison gas grenade is a new weapon. It produces a purplish, poisonous cloud that kills anyone that lingers into it. Grenades can be tagged onto enemies where they will slowly die. Grenade tagged players can also injure teammates if they get too close to them. The poison grenade is actually a baby Nemacyst inker attached to a regular grenade
-New weapon called the Scorcher Flamethrower. It is a power weapon that appears once in a map. Getting a perfect active reload causes it to glow red and increases the flames range. Is said to have the 'most realistic fire in a videogame ever'
-Bullet shields. Metal shield (adorned with Locust symbols) that blocks enemy fire. You can only equip a pistol when carrying the shield. Movement will be dramatically slower when using the shield. They can be planted into the ground to create new cover by squatting behind it. Enemies can kick it down if they get close enough
-Epic says plenty more weapons are on the way, including new additions to the superweapons class (alongside the Hammer of Dawn)
-Hammer of Dawn now has a timer of activation in online play, after a period of time the hammer of dawn becomes offline and is rendered useless
-Boltok Pistol now has a quicker rate of fire after a perfect active reload
-You can now get headshots with the Torque Bow. The bow will actually decapitate the head and stick it to the nearest wall until it explodes
-Boomshot now spawns with 4 rockets and you can fire two shots simultaneously after a successful active reload
-Melee attacks no longer stun players
-New weapon. A Minigun called the Mulcher that slows players down whenever equipped. It can be set on the ground much like the shield to provide cover and will overheat if used for long periods of time. A perfect active reload increases the accuracy of your shots
-New weapon. A Mortar that can be described as 'Troika meets Grenade Launcher'. A very powerful weapon that can also be planted on the ground. Also described as a 'less accurate Boomshot, but more powerful'

VII. EXECUTIONS

-New chainsaw animation from the back going from taint to throat. Dubbed 'ChainSAWdomy'
-Neck snap execution while holding a meat-shield
-Torque Bow execution. The attacker will take the victims head and place it on a Torque Bows blade tip, then use his foot to pop the head off
-Pistols are used to smack opponents on the head. Also known as 'pistol-whipping'
-Shotgun will be used like a golf-club
-Longshots rifle butt gets slammed down on your victims skull
-New execution where you can punch the enemy to death
-These executions can take up to three seconds to complete, and you are totally vulnerable while doing them
-Curb Stomp returns, except this time the attacker flips the victim onto his back before the stomp. The result is that you now stomp them in the face, rather than in the back of the head
-Chainsaw execution to downed opponents is a quick decapitation
-The Locust shield is used to decapitate opponents
-Melee execution animations usually take half a second to complete

VIII. VEHICLES

-Derricks are transport vehicles mounting grindlifts which are used to drill into the Locust underworld
-Centaur tank is a new vehicle. There is a level dedicated to it and the vehicle has a unique active reload
-Both Reavers and Brumaks are ridable in the Gears of War 2 campaign

IX. ENEMIES

-Corpsers return for Gears of War 2
-Brumaks return for Gears of War 2
-Reavers return for Gears of War 2 and can now land on the ground and attack you from there
-Nemacyst Return for Gears of War 2
-Nemacyst Mortar is an enemy making its first appearance in Gears of War 2
-Seeders return for Gears of War 2
-Boomers return for Gears of War 2
-New type of Boomers carrying shields and Miniguns are present in Gears of War 2. Also known as 'Grinders'
-New type of Boomers carrying flamethrowers are present in Gears of War 2. Also called 'Flamers'
-New type of Boomers carrying large Cleavers are present in Gears of War 2. They are known as 'Butchers'
-Many of the new Boomers have a variety of helmets and headwear
-Some Boomers carry an explosive flail which is basically a grenade-like whip. These Boomers are called 'Maulers'
-Drones Return for Gears of War 2 and are playable in MP
-Snipers Return for Gears of War 2 and are playable in MP
-Grenadiers Return for Gears of War 2 and are playable in MP
-Hammerhead Locust is a new Locust enemy seen in X360/EGM magazines and is playable in MP
-Theron Guards return for Gears of War 2 and are playable in MP
-Theron Sentinels return for Gears of War 2 and are playable in MP
-Kantus (priest/healer) are a new enemy seen in Game Informer magazine. They can summon Rockworms and Tickers
-Rockworms (provide moving cover) are a new enemy seen in GI magazine. They can be summoned by the Kantus
-Masked Locust is a new enemy seen in the gameplay debut trailer and is playable in MP
-Grenadier Cyclops is a new enemy seen in X360/EGM magazines and is playable in MP
-General RAAM returns for MP
-Scorch Drone is a new enemy equipped with a Scorcher flamethrower
-Berserkers return for Gears of War 2
-Bloodmount is a new creature that is rideable by Locust. Their main form of attack is to charge at you
-Wretches return for Gears of War 2
-Small insect-like Locust called 'Tickers' are a new enemy in Gears of War 2. They explode once they get close enough to the player. Meleeing one flips it onto it's back and flys it backwards away from you, so you can use it as an explosive trap for enemy locust. They can be summoned by the Kantus
-New creatures that make the Brumak 'look like a baby Panda bear'

X. GAME MECHANICS
-Weapon smoke and blood react to the wind and flow realistically
-Ability to use downed enemies as moving shields. Dubbed 'meatshields'
-Meatshields will protect the player from explosions and gunfire. The hostage can also be chainsawed, allowing the player some time to attack the chainsawer
-Meatshields will detoriate under fire, as well as drip blood on the floor as you drag them around
-Damaged players will bleed on the ground as they move and leave a blood trail
-Pressing A repeatedly while downed allows you to crawl away from danger
-Destructible cover. This does not only affect concrete cover, but also trees and vehicles
-The cover system has been refined, players' guns and bodies sit tighter to cover making it harder for your enemies to get an attacking angle
-Over 400 tweaks have been made to the cover system
-The A-button usage has now been expanded for the slide/slam into cover. By pressing it again & depending on the orientation of the thumbstick, you can change the angle approach, back up, or stop mid-slide
-Martyrdom is a new feature. If you are holding a frag while downed, press RT as the enemy is about to execute you to blow yourself up aswell as your enemy
-Pressing RT while downed allows you to raise your right hand to signal your team-mates in order for them to aid you
-Ambient Occlusion lighting allows for more realistic lighted and shaded objects/characters
-Improved character physics (soft body). Character bodies react realistically to gunfire
-New control scheme similar to Uncharted: Drakes Fortune is available for use

A couple of other things
-Dizzy's hat can be shot off
-When bullets hit a player or enemy, they will leave a bullet wound where it hit them
-When bullets fly through the air they will leave trails of smoke behind them

-If you kill the rider of a Bloodmount, the Bloodmount will become enraged and charge frantically at you, and vice versa if the Bloodmount gets killed

(Thanks to Bloodhunter over at X3F)

Funny Gaming Clips of the Week

2008-08-01T23:57:00.004-04:00

I was cruising the web when I came across these funny clips:

Gears Dance Off:

Dont Mess With Gordon Freeman:

Skate 2 Debut Trailer

2008-08-01T20:48:00.001-04:00

Gnarly!

James Bond Quantum of Solace.

2008-08-01T14:03:00.001-04:00

Here is some info I found today from Activision:

James Bond is back to settle the score in the Quantum of Solace game. Introducing a more lethal and cunningly efficient Bond, the game blends intense first-person action with a unique third-person cover combat system that allows players to truly feel what it is like to be the ultimate secret agent as they use their stealth, precision shooting and lethal combat skills to progress through missions. Seamlessly blending the heart-pounding action and excitement of the upcoming "Quantum of Solace" feature film with the "Casino Royale" movie, the title propels players into the cinematic experience of international espionage.

Based on the renowned Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare game engine that has been specifically engineered to immerse players in the Bond universe, the Quantum of Solace game delivers superior high-definition graphics, reactive AI and visually stunning locations inspired by locales portrayed in the films.

KEY FEATURES:

Be the New Bond – The Quantum of Solace game marks the first time players can become the dangerous and cunning Bond as portrayed by Daniel Craig in “Quantum of Solace” and “Casino Royale.”
Combat Variety – From silent take downs and sneaking through confined spaces, to one-on-one shoot outs and large scale battles, players experience a variety of gameplay that challenges them to think through situations and choose how they progress, whether it’s through covert means or confronting enemies in full force.
Advanced combat and Realistic AI – Players engage in both first-person and third-person gameplay that allows gamers to be Bond in unscripted battles against the world’s most evil villains and mercenaries.
Cinematic Appeal – Filled with armed combat, massive explosions and vertigo-inducing chases, gamers are immersed in an authentic Bond universe and drawn into epic movie moments with theatrical camera angles, split screen effects, picture-in-picture sequences, and amazing environments inspired by real world locations such as Montenegro, Venice, Bolivia and Austria.
Unparalleled Bond Multiplayer Experience – Bringing James Bond to next-gen consoles for the first time, gamers now have the ability to battle online in a variety of modes.

This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 600x338.

This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 600x337.

This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 600x338.

This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 600x339.

This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 600x338.

Publisher - Activision
Release Date - Fall 2008

Too Human Goes Gold

2008-07-31T17:18:00.003-04:00

It was announced today that the Too Human demo surpassed 900,000 downloads. This made it the most downloaded action game demo of XBL history. I personally did not like this demo that much. To me it looked like a rip-off of Mass Effect and Conan with a choppy fighting style that posed no challenge. Virtually unlimited ammo and easy enemies does not please me; I barley lost any health throughout the demo. You can pick up Too Human on August 19th, it will be rated T and priced at $60. I don't think I will be purchasing this game because it doesn't really bring anything different to the table. The gameplay was mediocre at best and there are not any stunning features that could shield that; I'm taking a pass.

Cinematic:

Gameplay:

Saints Row 2 Video Diary

2008-07-31T13:44:00.002-04:00

She got me hooked :)

This game looks like it is going to be a lot more fun than the first one (which I just traded for Viva Pinata). The Co-Op should be really sick. We will keep you posted.

Madden 09 Demo Out on XBL Arcade

2008-07-31T11:27:00.004-04:00

UPDATE: The game starts with a John Madden hologram, great (sarcasm). The first thing you have to do is take the Madden test which calculates you skill at Madden and makes your own skill level. The Madden Moment is this years Superbowl game, you get to play as the Giants when there is a minute on the clock and you are down by four. I loved the gameplay it was really enjoyable; so glad I reserved it today along with Gears 2 Special Edition.

Yay! Today the Madden 09 Demo has been released to the arcade. I am downloading it right now and it weighs in at 1.09 GBs. The demo includes two game modes; Madden Test and Madden Moment. I reserved this game earlier today and I am excited to see how the gameplay feels. I will update this post after I play the demo. Anyone who is interested in Madden should try out the demo.

Even Bret is Excited About it

New COD 4 Playlists

2008-07-31T02:02:00.004-04:00

Alright COD heads its that time, this weekend Infinity Ward is testing four new playlists. This is the last test before these playlists get mixed into the game. The four playlist are:

Bare-Bones team Deathmatch
Hardcore HQ
Multi-Bomb Search and Destroy
Hardcore FFA

360 Fanboy described them perfectly:

Harcore HQ and FFA are fairly self-explanatory, as they are simply more hardcore versions of standard gametypes. They include higher damage and no HUD, so tactics are key. Multi-Bomb Search and Destroy, unsurprisingly, gives all memebers of the attacking team a bomb for their planting pleasure. Bare-Bones Team Deathmatch may be the most intriguing of the bunch, as it removes all perks and kill streak rewards. In other words, you can't blame all your deaths on enemies that poop grenades when they die.

These playlists are in testing so I have no idea when they will be publicly playable.

COD 4's Newest Logo

Fable 3, 4 & 5

2008-07-29T11:19:00.003-04:00

Lionhead revealed yesterday that they had plans for 3 more Fable games after the 2nd one. Speaking to Game Trailers Molyneux said, "We've got plans for Fable 3, 4 and 5 actually. It's a big story arc and if you play Fable II you'll recognise things from Fable 1." He also talked of another project that he is describing as an innovative sports game. 3 more after the 2nd Fable? They are really sucking the tit of this series dry.

Molnyneux sucking the tit of Fable dry

Gears 2 New & Notes

2008-07-27T16:31:00.002-04:00

The Gears of War 2 special edition that I posted about earlier will in fact include a miniature replica model Lancer. Just like the Halo 3 Legendary edition it is rumored to priced at a cool 130$. When we get more new on what you get with it I will be sure to post it. I don't know if I am going to get the special edition yet; thats like 2 games and A HALF

You might have heard that in Gears 2 there will be linked achievements. Some people were probably like "What in tarnation is linked achievements?". Don't be ashamed my southern example I will enlighten you. A linked achievement is when a game recognizes previously earned achievements from another game and unlocks new content based on their unlocked status. In Gears 2's case it will recognizes achievements from Gears 1 to unlock new content. Here are a few examples

Unlocking the "Completed Act 1" achievement in GoW unlocks Anthony Carmine in GoW2 multiplayer.
Unlocking the "A Dish Best Served Cold" achievement in GoWunlocks General RAAM in GoW2 multiplayer.
Unlocking the "Time to Remember" achievement in GoW unlocks Minh Young Kim in GoW2 multiplayer.

New Halo Wars Video Of Gameplay

2008-07-26T12:20:00.003-04:00

1UP interviewed the Ensemble team to take a look at the game and ask questions. If you think back that 10min demo video way back was a great video and gave a lot of details but this new video talks about resources, combat, controls, and units.... including SPARTANS! Ensemble has a level for units and you just gotta watch to see what I'm talking about.

Gameplay:

Guitar Hero Track List UPDATE

2008-07-25T21:33:00.003-04:00

The second track list I posted that was a rumor was confirmed false today. I will keep you posted as we get the information. We know that Hot for Teacher is on the game though because they did a demo at E3.

Geometry Wars 2 Multiplayer Video

2008-07-25T20:11:00.002-04:00

Here is a fresh Geometry Wars 2 video that includes footage of the multiplayer. Enjoy!

Bungie to Announce New Halo 3 Multiplayer Content

2008-07-24T20:02:00.002-04:00

At the Penny Arcade Expo Bungie plans to announce some new multiplayer content for their fans. In a recent update posted on Bungie.net it means that PAX attendees can "expect to find some brand new Halo 3 multiplayer content". Hopefully they will throw out some fresh maps. The big announcement that was supposed to be at E3 will NOT be announced at PAX.

Geometry Wars 2 Release Date Changed

2008-07-24T17:06:00.003-04:00

Initially set for release on August 6, Activision has moved up the final release date for Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2 to July 30. Though there is no co-op I am still very excited for the game it is a Xbox arcade classic.

NEW GEARS 2 FOOTAGE!

2008-07-24T13:45:00.002-04:00

This is a video from Joystiq that they managed to grab during one of Gamestop's Gears of War 2 tourneys. They don't let us embed so here is the link to their post.

CLICK HERE

Rumor: NEW Guitar Hero World Tour Setlist

2008-07-24T12:53:00.005-04:00

The guys over at Xbox 360 Fanboy have a new Guitar Hero World Tour rumored setlist. Of course we are not sure if it is true just like the last setlist we posted these are just rumors.

Eagle Rock High School Tour:

"Dope Nose" by Weezer
"The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World
Encore: "Today" by Smashing Pumpkins

Big City Kids Tour:

"Roland" by Interpol
"Santeria" By Sublime
Encore: "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers

Feelin' Nostalgic Tour:

"Take It on the Run" by REO Speedwagon
"Hold the Line" by Toto
Encore: "Rebel Yell" by Billy Idol

Vixens Tour:

"Heartbreaker" by Pat Benatar
"All Around Me" by Flyleaf
Encore:"Misery Business" by Paramore

Undertow Tour:

"Stinkfist" by Tool
"Lateralus" by Tool
"Schism" by Tool

Synchronicity Tour:

"Guitar Battle Vs. Sting" (Guitar Career Only)
Encore: "Every Breath You Take" by The Police

Fight the System Tour:

"The Kids Aren't Alright" by The Offspring
The Good Left Undone" by Rise Agaisnt
Encore: "Bleed it Out" by Linkin Park

QQ Tour:

"Face Down" by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
"The Kill" by 30 Seconds to Mars
Encore: "Thank You for the Venom" by My Chemical Romance

Rockin the Carnival Tour:

"Dammit" by Blink 182
"When You Heat Stops Beating" by +44

Neva' Forget Tour:

"Jumpin Jack Flash" by The Rolling Stones
"Don't Fear the Reaper" by Blue Öyster Cult
Encore: "Light My Fire" by The Doors

We Want the Funk Tour:

"Take it Away" by Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Renegades of Funk" by Rage Agaisnt the Machines
Encore: "No Sleep till Brooklyn" by The Beastie Boys Feat. Kerry King

Rockin' the Joint Tour:

"Are You Gonna Go My Way" by Lenny Kravitz
"I Don't wanna Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith

On Top of the World Tour:

"Man in the Box" by Alice in Chains
"Kickstart My Heart" by Mötley Crüe
Encore: "Spin the Black Circle" by Pearl Jam

G. Stinger Tour:

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana
"Car Chase City" by Tenacious D
Encore: "Everlong" by Foo Fighters

Lands End Tour:

"Animal" by Def Leppard
"Runaway" by Bon Jovi
Encore: "Paradise City" by Guns N' Roses

Doin' it Different Tour:

"Song for the Dead" by Queens of the Stone Age
"Vasoline" by Stone Temple Pilots
Encore: "Assassin" by Muse

Hootin' and Hollerin' Tour:

"The Boys Are Back in Town" By Thin Lizzy
"Life in the Fastlane" by The Eagles
Encore:"Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd

All Pissed Off Tour:

"Here to Stay" by KoRn
"Dragula" by Rob Zombie
Encore: "Bat Country" by Avenged Sevenfold

Here Me Roar Tour:

"10,000 Fists" by Disturbed
"Duality" by Slipknot
Encore: "Toxicity" by System of a Down

S.D.M.F. Tour:

"Guitar Battle Vs. Zakk Wylde" (Guitar Career Only)
Encore: "Demise of Sanity" by Black Label Society

Fathers of Metal Tour:

"Don't Talk to Strangers" by Dio
"Heaven and Hell" by Black Sabbath
Encore: "Crazy Train" by Ozzy Osbourne

Making Progress Tour:

"The Spirit of Radio" by Rush
"Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd
Encore: "Pull Me Under" by Dream Theatre

Eruption Tour:

"Beat it" by Micheal Jackson Feat. Eddie Van Halen
"Hot for Teacher" by Van Halen

Tooth Fang & Claw Tour:

"Guitar Battle Vs. Ted Nugent" (Guitar Career Only)
Encore: "Stranglehold" by Ted Nugent

Decades of Metal Tour

"Warriors of Time" by Black Tide
"Leather Rebel" by Judas Priest
Encore: "Hallowed be Thy Name" by Iron Maiden

Livin' in a Nightmare Tour:

"Angel of Death" by Slayer
"Tornado of Souls" by Megadeth
Encore: "Master of Puppets" by Metallica

Legends of Rock Tour:

"Johnny B. Goode" by Chuck Berry
"The Wind Cries Mary" by Jimi Hendrix
Encore: "Purple Haze (Live)" by Jimi Hendrix

Bonus Tour:

"45″ by Shinedown
"96 Quite Bitter Beings" by CKY
"Bombshell" by Powerman 5000
"Clavado en un Bar" by Maná
"Enjoy the Silence" by Lacuna Coil
"Feuer Frei" by Rammstein
"Fury of the Storm" by Dragonforce
"Never Too Late" by The Answer
"Nottingham Lace" by Buckethead
"One Armed Scissor" by At The Drive-In
"Satch Boogie" by Joe Satriani
"Schrei" by Tokio Hotel
"Soul Doubt" by NOFX

"We're An American Band" by Grand Funk Railroad
"Guitar Battle Vs. Sting" by Sting
"Guitar Battle Vs. Ted Nugent" By Ted Nugent
"Guitar Battle Vs. Zakk Wylde" by Zakk Wylde

Sample Songs:

"Untitled Drum Sample" created by Chad Smith
"Untitled Drum Sample" created by Dave Grohl
"Untitled Drum Sample" created by Travis Barker
"Cliffs of Dover" created by Neversoft
"Misirlou" created by Neversoft
"Walk This Way" created by Neversoft
"YYZ" created by Neversoft

Halo Wars Trailer

2008-07-23T23:10:00.001-04:00

Not much news today so I thought I would share this Halo Wars trailer with you:

UPDATE: Geometry Wars 2= NO ONLINE CO-OP

2008-07-22T22:26:00.004-04:00

Xbox 360 Fan Boy is reporting that there WILL BE NO CO-OP for Geometry Wars 2. They learned this woeful news straight from Microsoft; they say there is too much going on to make co-op online. You only only be able to play up to 4 players locally.

Warning To All People Wanting A Xbox 360 !!!

2008-07-22T21:43:00.004-04:00

I have been reading a lot of buzz about this site Refurbished Xbox 360s. It says that they sell Xbox 360's for $40.00. Hopefully people have an eye for things to good to be true. Don't be fooled by the MasterCard certified or Hacker Safe logos they aren't real just letting people know, how do these sites not get shut down!

Guitar Hero Aerosmith Review

2008-07-22T14:47:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago I picked up Guitar Hero Aerosmith mostly for the guitar that came with it because mine is an old white corded X-Plorer from Guitar Hero II. Since I have exhausted all the songs in Guitar Hero III, I thought Guitar Hero Aerosmith would be the perfect bundle with a fresh song list and a nice looking guitar to shred with. This game really is just Guitar Hero III filled with Aerosmith songs and few from some other bands. There were a couple of Run-DMC songs stuck in there that I really enjoyed. You could also play as DMC in the game; Run-DMC in Guitar Hero how could you not enjoy it. The career mode is tiring towards the end I was just begging for the last song to come. After a couple of hours the screeching voice of Stephen Tyler blaring threw my speakers got on my nerves. Another negative about this game is that it is not too challenging. I play Guitar Hero on expert level but I can only get past the 6th tier of songs and then the next song set is rather challenging for me. In Guitar Hero Aerosmith I plowed through all of the songs and the only one that gave me trouble was the last song "Train Kept A Rollin'" which I failed and am still stuck on. Still this game is much easier than the earlier Guitar Heros. The guitar that it came with is really cool, it has a sick Aerosmith faceplate.

Verdict: Only purchase this game if:

1.) You need a new guitar

2.) You desperately need a new setlist to hold you off until Guitar Hero World Tour

3.) You are a big Aerosmith fan

If you are not any of those three things this game is not for you

My Rank

6/10

Netfilx Demo

2008-07-21T22:39:00.006-04:00

Here is a demo of how Netflix is going to work on the 360 from Major Nelsons latest Inside Xbox. You add movies to your instant queue and then that comes up on your Xbox when you click on Netflix. It seems you will not be able to browse through the online database directly from your Xbox, you need to use a computer to select your instant queue. Still its really cool. Also you can invite your friends in to watch with you. No word yet however on if those friends need to be Netflix subscribers as well. This is great I just ordered Netflix a few hours ago it is gonna be sick on my Xbox.

Xbox Games Release Dates List

2008-07-21T14:26:00.002-04:00

Here is a link to the release dates of all of the upcoming games for the Xbox 36o including the new Mass Effect, Rockband 2 and many more.

Here is the Link from IGN

This list confirms we will be playing Mass Effect well in 2011

Guitar Hero World Tour Gets Jimi

2008-07-21T12:43:00.002-04:00

According to CBC Guitar Hero got two iconic Jimi Hendrix songs to be included in their new game Guitar Hero World Tour. Not only that they are including Jimi as a playable character (Xavier Stone is now out of work). The songs included: "The Wind Cries Mary" and "Purple Haze". If those two are not good enough for you Activision promised more Hendrix songs through DLC.

Poor Xavier...They don't need a look-a-like anymore. They got the real Jimi.

Animal Crossing: City Folk

2008-07-21T00:46:00.004-04:00

I love Animal Crossing. Thats right, call me a geek all you want but I just can't stop playing it. Weather it be on the good ol' Gamecube or on the DS I am always caring about what is going on in my Animal Crossing World. When they announced Animal Crossing for the Wii I nearly shit my pants. One of my favorite things to do is just to forget all the troubles I have and just go and relax in Animal Crossing. Now since it is for a new generation system I am hoping it is going to have some online features. You can now invite your friends to your town and talk to them like they are in the room with the new Wii Speak mic that Joe posted about earlier. Now instead of just a country life you can also take a bus into a Urban area. Not like Compton Urban but Urban (sorry there will be no animal crossing street version). So far the features are not jumping off the page. It seems that there is nothing new besides a Mic that was not in the old game. I hope they support so that your Mii can be your character. Why can't they just make it MMO?

The release date right now is set for: November 16th 2008

Creator:

Gameplay:

Wii Speak

2008-07-20T23:53:00.005-04:00

Finally a mic for the Wii so everyone can talk smack on Brawl and Mario Kart. It isn't a mic for your ear, it goes near your TV, as seen in the picture below, so it must be very sensitive. It was announced at E3 by Nintendo as being a key accessory for animal crossing's online element talking to other people at their own "animal crossing". Rumors say that this Wii Speak might be included with Animal Crossing.

Wii Sports Resort

2008-07-20T20:27:00.004-04:00

After the great success of the Wii Sports that was released with the console Nintendo decided to make a sequel. The next game is name Wii Sports Resort and the minigames offer the feeling of a day on the beach. The game is meant to fully utilize the new Wii motion plus and one will be included in the game. The games included in this version (from what I could tell from the screenshots) are: Waverunning, Frisbee, Fencing and Discus.

Wii Sports Waverunning

NEW KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC MMO!!!!!

2008-07-20T16:10:00.005-04:00

Great news Star Wars junkies (me), EA has confirmed that Bioware and Lucas Arts are developing a MMO of the intensely popular game Knights of the Old Republic. An anonymous tipster told 1UP the description of the new game that adds to the pile of evidence that there is something in the works. He said this: "This is a role-playing game set in the historical past of the Star Wars universe. Jedi and Sith battle across the galaxy with

the power of the Force and are joined by soldiers, politicians and nobles. Players must choose the destinies of heroes and villains in a thrilling and dangerous universe."

I have to say that looks SICK! Just in case

you're still skeptical, the interviewer then pressed by asking directly if he referred to a Knights of the Old Republic online game, and Riccitiello plainly said, "yes." There isn't much more info about this project but when I get news about it I will make a new post.

New Geometry Wars

2008-07-20T15:28:00.004-04:00

One of the most downloaded, and might I add intense/fun arcade games for the xbox360 is going to have a sequel! Geometry Wars 2 will be a hot new arcade game that will probably come out some time around the holidays I'm guessing being that it was showed at Microsoft's Keynote when they were talking about the fall updates. As you can see in the video below this is one intense game. It feature 4-players at once, and several new geometric enemies to blow up, enjoy the video!

Gameplay:

Guitar Hero World Tour UNCONFIRMED TRACK LIST

2008-07-19T18:54:00.005-04:00

I. Opening Licks

1. Jessie's Girl - Rick Springfield
2. I Won’t Back Down – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3. Ring of Fire - Johnny Cash
4. Fortunate Son – Credence Clearwater Revival
5. Rock and Roll Pt. 1 and Pt. 2 - Gary Glitter

II. Amp-Warmers

1. Start Me Up - The Rolling Stones
2. Oye Como Va - Santana
3. Wake Me Up When September Ends - Green Day
4. Ohio - Neil Young
5. Back in Black - AC/DC

III. String Snappers

1. Bad Reputation - Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
2. Lonely Day - System of a Down
3. Bullet The Blue Sky – U2
4. Scentless and Senseless - Nirvana
5. Got the Life - Korn

IV. Thrash and Burn

1. Smooth Criminal - Alien Ant Farm
2. Jet Airliner - Steve Miller Band
3. Don’t Start a Band – Reel Big Fish
4. Hot Blooded - Foreigner
5. Bad to the Bone - George Thorogood and the Destroyers

V. Return of the Shred

1. Rebel Yell - Billy Idol
2. (Don't Fear) The Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult
3. Janie's Got a Gun - Aerosmith
4. Panama – Van Halen
5. Heaven Beside You – Alice in Chains

VI. Fret Burners

1. Ramblin' Man - The Allman Brothers Band
2. You Give Love a Bad Name – Bon Jovi
3. Been Caught Stealing – Jane’s Addiction
4. Somebody Told Me – The Killers
5. Hotel California – The Eagles

VII. Relentless Riffs

1. Panama - Van Halen
2. Voodoo Child (Slight Return) - Jimi Hendrix
3. Operation Mindcrime - Queensryche
4. Civil War - Guns 'n Roses
5. Wake Up - Rage Against the Machine

VIII. Furious Fretwork

1. Especially in Michigan – Red Hot Chili Peppers
2. The Prisoner – Iron Maiden
3. Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd
4. Duality - Slipknot
5. Beat It - Michael Jackson

IX. Face Melters

1. Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry
2. Comfortably Numb – Pink Floyd
3. Sultans of Swing - Dire Straits
4. Bat Country – Avenged Sevenfold
5. Cocaine (Live) – Eric Clapton

X. A Farewell to Strings

1. Orion - Metallica
2. 25 or 6 to 4 - Chicago
3. Flying High Again - Ozzy Osborne
4. The Bitter End – Sum 41
5. Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin

I really hope this is true. I WANT STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN.

Rockband 2 Tracklist

2008-07-19T18:43:00.003-04:00

Rock Band 2 On-Disc Track List:

1. AC/DC "Let There Be Rock"
2. AFI "Girl's Gone Grey"
3. Alanis Morissette "You Oughta Know"
4. Alice in Chains "Man in the Box"
5. Allman Brothers "Ramblin' Man"
6. Avenged Sevenfold "Almost Easy"
7. Bad Company "Shooting Star"
8. Beastie Boys "So Whatcha Want"
9. Beck "E-Pro"
10. Bikini Kill "Rebel Girl"
11. Billy Idol "White Wedding Pt. I"
12. Blondie " One Way or Another"
13. Bob Dylan "Tangled Up in Blue"
14. Bon Jovi "Livin' on a Prayer"
15. Cheap Trick "Hello There"
16. Devo "Uncontrollable Urge"
17. Dinosaur Jr. "Feel the Pain"
18. Disturbed "Down with the Sickness"
19. Dream Theater "Panic Attack"
20. Duran Duran "Hungry Like the Wolf"
21. Elvis Costello "Pump It Up"
22. Fleetwood Mac "Go Your Own Way"
23. Foo Fighters "Everlong"
24. Guns N' Roses "Shackler's Revenge"
25. Interpol "PDA"
26. Jane's Addiction "Mountain Song"
27. Jethro Tull "Aqualung"
28. Jimmy Eat World "The Middle"
29. Joan Jett "Bad Reputation"
30. Journey "Anyway You Want It"
31. Judas Priest "Painkiller"
32. Kansas "Carry On Wayward Son"
33. L7 "Pretend We're Dead"
34. Lacuna Coil "Our Truth"
35. Linkin Park "One Step Closer"
36. Lit "My Own Worst Enemy"
37. Lush "De-Luxe"
38. Mastodon "Colony of Birchmen"
39. Megadeth "Peace Sells"
40. Metallica " Battery"
41. Mighty Mighty Bosstones "Where'd You Go"
42. Modest Mouse "Float On"
43. Motorhead "Ace of Spades"
44. Nirvana "Drain You"
45. Norman Greenbaum "Spirit in the Sky"
46. Panic at the Disco "Nine in the Afternoon"
47. Paramore "That's What You Get"
48. Pearl Jam "Alive"
49. Presidents of the USA "Lump"
50. Rage Against the Machine "Testify"
51. Ratt "Round & Round"
52. Red Hot Chili Peppers "Give it Away"
53. Rise Against "Give it All"
54. Rush "The Trees"
55. Silversun Pickups "Lazy Eye"
56. Smashing Pumpkins "Today"
57. Social Distortion "I Was Wrong"
58. Sonic Youth "Teenage Riot"
59. Soundgarden "Spoonman"
60. Squeeze "Cool for Cats"
61. Steely Dan "Bodhitsattva"
62. Steve Miller Band "Rock'n Me"
63. Survivor "Eye of the Tiger"
64. System of a Down "Chop Suey"
65. Talking Heads "Psycho Killer"
66. Tenacious D "Master Exploder"
67. Testament "Souls of Black"
68. The Donnas "New Kid in School"
69. The Go-Go's "We Got the Beat"
70. The Grateful Dead " Alabama Getaway"
71. The Guess Who "American Woman"
72. The Muffs "Kids in America"
73. The Offspring "Come Out & Play (Keep 'em Separated)"
74. The Replacements "Alex Chilton"
75. The Who "Pinball Wizard"

Bonus Songs
76. Abnormality "Visions"
77. Anarchy Club "Get Clean"
78. Bang Camaro "Night Lies"
79. Breaking Wheel "Shoulder to the Plow"
80. The Libyans "Neighborhood"
81. The Main Drag "A Jagged Gorgeous Winter"
82. Speck "Conventional Lover"
83. The Sterns "Supreme Girl"
84. That Handsome Devil "Rob the Prez-O-Dent"

This is only the tracks that will be included on disk. There will be a lot of DLC and all of the tracks from Rockband 1 will be playable if you own it.

The Dark Knight

2008-07-19T15:35:00.006-04:00

WHY SO SERIOUS?

Now just so you know this blog wont have many movies but damn, this movie deserves one. Not only did it break the record for most money made at a midnight premier, it is being mentioned in all newspapers as one of the best super hero movies of all time. I personally have seen it twice, and can't wait to see it again! At first I thought Heath Ledger's performance as the joker was all hyped out of proportion due to his un-timely death, but I couldn't have been more wrong! The joker is the best villain in any movie I've seen hands down. Please go see this movie in theatres don't wait till DVD you want to see this summer blockbuster on the biggest screen near you as soon as you can. Also don't go by rottentomatos.com 's rating of 94% it should be well above that and this will certainly steal the show at the next Academy Awards.

Trailer:

New Wii Motion Plus Controller

2008-07-19T14:54:00.003-04:00

Nintendo in its keynote at E3 released a new controller add on as you can see above which makes your controller "motion plus" which hasn't been shown in detail as to what games it will be in, but it helps the Wii known exactly what position your arm is in not just where its pointing. I'm guessing some sort of golf game. No price has been release as to the prices yet but fingers crossed it isn't that expensive!

E3 Madness 2

2008-07-18T23:41:00.005-04:00

E3 is all done and we're still trying to get everything covered. We have a few more titles out of E3 we'd like to show you.

Resident Evil 5
This is the 5th installment in a series I have never played, but after seeing it at E3 I'm interested to give this horror shooter a try. The controls are virtually the same as the last game, and the graphics look stunning. I don't think that this game will be un-popular after its release on March 13th, 2009 and just so you know this is Friday the thirteenth! Here are some videos to show you more of this upcoming game by Capcom. Oh and I almost forgot; it has 2-player Co-op!

Cinematic:

Gameplay:

Fallout 3

Its debut was at Microsoft's keynote which showed people the gaming line-up for the Xbox 360. The franchise takes place in post apocalypse earth. The cool thing about this shooter, i think, is the ability to switch between 1st and 3rd person in game very easily. It has a large arsenal of weapons, one notable being a small, shoulder mounted nuke. I think the keynote down below describes the features preety well, so watch and enjoy!

Gameplay:

New Rockband DLC on Friday

2008-07-18T21:56:00.002-04:00

Rockband has announced that on Friday there will be new DLC available. The download will include 5 tracks total 2 from Shinedown and 3 from Nine Inch Nails. They will cost 160 Microsoft points each. Here is the track list:

"Burn" by Nine Inch Nails
"Capital G" by Nine Inch Nails
"Last" by Nine Inch Nails
"Devour" by Shinedown
"Junkies for Fame" by Shinedown

Fall Dashboard Update Details

2008-07-18T00:00:00.004-04:00

As you should know by now Microsoft is changing around the interface of the 360 dashboard this fall (should look something like that (right)). Some of the new features besides the smooth new look that this dashing dashboard will have are: you now have avatars. These little characters that you will make will be like your new gamer-pic. They can be featured in some arcade games also. They are also added a quick launch feature that means while in mid gaming session you can change to a demo or arcade game or vice versa.

Video: Commercial

Madden 09

2008-07-17T18:27:00.004-04:00

I am a big Madden fan and that means I am very excited for the upcoming August 12th release of the next installment in the football giant's series. The biggest feature that the 21th Madden brings is the addition of online leagues. That's right football freaks now you can play online against other people in a league featuring trades and all that stuff. Another good feature is that John Madden will no longer be broadcasting the games instead you only have to hear him if you do the tutorial. No more my Madden friends will every other down you hear " Well 90% of the game is half mental". What is also pretty cool is that as you are playing Madden 09 the A.I. will adapt to your skills. It will find your strengths and weaknesses to help make the game more even. That way you will never be stuck between pro and all-pro. Also just like always everything from the light to the graphics to the new play models everything is improved from the old one.

Cinematic:

Gameplay:

Sick Gears of War 2 Special Edition

2008-07-17T18:15:00.003-04:00

There are a lot of crazy Gears 2 things flying out of E3 but one of the coolest is the special edition game case that Game Stop will be selling. For an extra 10$ price you'll get steel DVD case, a 48 page "Beneath the Surface: An Inside Look at Gears of War 2" mini-book, a bonus behind the scenes DVD as well as a code to unlock an in-game gold plated Lancer. Not too shabby. There are also rumors that including in the special edition there will be a mini lancer included. If you look closely below to the right of the box it looks to be a mini Lancer replica. I can only hope.

Final Fantasy XIII (13)

2008-07-17T00:53:00.005-04:00

Square Enix shocked the gaming world when they announced they were migrating the Final Fantasy series from Sony over to Mircosoft. This is a console changing series that if successful could change the face of the 360. There has not been much info released on this bound to be epic RPG but this post will be updated as new info spews out.

Stunning Graphics

Video: Epic Footage

New Controllers

2008-07-17T00:45:00.008-04:00

E3 08 is not only chock full of game announcements but also has had a big accessory announcement. Coming in the fall Xbox is adding two new controller colors; Bright Green (below) and a light Red (more below). I have to say the red one while playing Gears of War 2 will look nice with a black back.

E3 Madness

2008-07-17T00:29:00.008-04:00

New Halo Game!

In a recent interview with MTV News, Don Mattrick of Microsoft confirmed that Bungie was indeed working on a new Halo game for Microsoft, that isn’t Halo Wars, or the Halo game in progress with Peter Jackson. This also supports the Wal-Mart intranet database having a new game listed as “Halo Blue”.

Bungie was about to announce some details about the new at E3 but was quickly stopped by their publisher at the last second. Funny how Bungie splits from Microsoft to be independent and look away from the Halo franchise, to be slapped in the face by an annoying old contract they probably wish would disappear.

Gears of War 2

One game that will make lots of heads turn this November will be GoW 2. The release date is November 7, 2008. Now being I’m very excited about this game I’m going to list the new weapons/features in GoW 2. They upped the 4v4 to 5v5 for more action but not too much. No host advantage and chainsaw duels are also a big plus. Co-op on live is going to be fun, especially since each individual player can play their own difficulty. All other juicy features I’m going to list because there is so many:

- New weapon called The Scorcher (Flamethrower)

- New gametype 'Wingman' in which 10 players split into teams of two.

- New gametype 'Meatflag' kinda like CTF but with an awesome twist. The flag will instead be AI character wandering around the centre of the map. He has his own weapons and surprisingly a place on the leaderboard. To capture him you will need to down him and pick him up as a meatshield and take him back, slowly, to your base. If you shoot the meatflag enough times while he's being dragged back to base, his captor will loose him and he'll go crazy on everyone around him.

- Stopping power which means if your running towards an enemy but he is firing straight into your chest, you will slow down. This means NO MORE ANNOYING GRENADE TAGGING FROM A RUNNING JERK.

- Big metal shield that stops you from getting hit. Can be planted into the ground to make a new cover. Enemies can kick it down though if they get close enough.

Multiplayer Gameplay:

Halo Wars

Well it’s been known for a while that with the help and guidance of Bungie, Ensemble Studios has been hard at work on a halo RTS. More details were revealed regarding release dates and such. The game will be released in spring 2009, which isn’t that specific but better than nothing, also they just revealed what I hoped for: Covenant will be playable! As for console RTS haters, I got Command and Conquer 3 from the discount bin and let me tell you first hand console RTS games work well! As long as Halo Wars has a control scheme similar to Command and Conquer 3, then all skeptics will feel relieved.

Gameplay Demo:

Fable II (OH BABY)

2008-07-16T23:37:00.005-04:00

Fable II is coming.......Just those words send a chill down my spine. One of my favorite games for the Xbox is now being continued onto the Xbox 360 in more glory than ever before. Filled with a new fighting system, a new immerse co-op system and the best feature now you can cruise through Fable intense world with man's best friend at your side, thats right you get a dog which does your bidding. This new installation to the Fable series is set 500 years in the future of the original Fable. The developers say that the game is already finished now they are just bug testing all the way up to the october release. From what people are saying at E3 it is going to be worth the wait.

Here is a few videos to hold you off:

Cinematic:

Gameplay:

And So It Begins.....

2008-07-16T22:13:00.003-04:00

This is Joe posting on what will be a very informing blog in the video gaming world. If you want to know about me personally and as a gamer head over to the about me! This is my first blog and I am a very dedicated person so don't worry you'll be in the loop. After E3 I will have full coverage on the biggest and best news. Just so you know what kind of games and systems this blog will focus on here it is:

Genres
- Shooters
- RPGs
- MMOs
- RTS/Strategy

Systems
- Xbox 360
- Wii
- PC
- PS3 (RARELY)

This first post is done by me, Joe, but one other writers will grace the awesomeness of this blog; Charlie. If you have any questions, or suggestions/information I would be happy to hear, just email me at joeschmo8979@gmail.com, see you throughout E3 for a summary of all the annoucements/dates that will be flying around the internet. :)