Mass Effect 3 in First Perry Ad?
This is an excellent campaign video for Rick Perry. Watch at around 1:53 when you'll see Perry talking to a man we assume is a game designer at what we assume is BioWare Austin. On the monitors on the man's desk are images from Mass Effect 3. Mike Fahey at Kotaku pokes fun at this, since ME3 is being developed in Canada, not BioWare's Austin shop.
August or November? Which is It?
For those (like me) looking forward to The Lord of the Rings: War in The North, you're probably wondering when the game is actually going to be released. Amazon and IGN show an August release date, GameStop and GameSpot say November, and the official website is no help at all. GameSpot has posted a great looking trailer (below) this week, which only whets my apetite and does nothing to answer the question, with a very vague "2011" at the end. My gut says if there are two very different dates with any game of this magnetude, take the later of the two.
Latest Rage Video: “The Wasteland”
The latest video from Comic-Con is a behind-the-scenes look at Bethesda's newest post-apocalyptic open-worlder: Rage. The new video introduces the Wasteland, the huge, open game world that ties the story-driven missions together. It's like Fallout 3's "DC Wasteland", or the "Wasteland" in Fallout: New Vegas, with better graphics and more stuff to do in between missions. Listen for voice-work by Michael Ironside (the voice of Sam Fisher in Splinter Cell) and watch for details of what looks to be really cool multiplayer car combat. The fall 2011 lineup continues to look amazing.
New Batman: Arkham City Trailer
The newest trailer from RockSteady features the Penguin, and a surprise villain reveal at the end. The coolest video to come out of Comic-Con yet, IMHO.
Hunted: The Demon’s Forge Review
The professional reviews I read going into this game were disappointing. The general theme was "Gears of War with Bows". The game does have the Gears-style duck and cover mechanic which is useful when trying to pick off enemies with a bow, and it has the same sort of linear style that the Gears games favor. It is definitely not a classic RPG and split-screen co-op is unplayable. But, if you accept those design decisions when you start, you will find Hunted to be a fun, actiony romp through a classic fantasy world.
Deadliest Warrior Legends
Spike Games returns with a sequel to last year's XBLA hit Deadliest Warrior. The new game focuses on history's greatest warrior generals, like Sun Tzu, Gengis Khan, Attila the Hun, etc. rather than generic classes of warriors.
Thoughts on the Gears 3 Beta
The 4-week Beta for Gears of War 3 ended May 15 and now Gears fans will have to wait for September to see the fruits of their "labor". Epic games will take the lessons learned from the Beta to make the retail release even better. Here's my reaction to what I saw, what worked and what didn't.
On the Brink of trading in Brink
I have to admit, I bought into the Brink hype. The pre-launch trailer and the previews sold me. A cool, edgy art style, emphasis on team play, the SMART parkour movement system, tons of customizations. I was on the verge of trading in Bulletstorm and cutting short my Gears 3 Beta a week early so I could play this cool new game.
Wow, was I fooled. Here's why this game is a missed opportunity and why I'm going to trade it in toward LA Noire, next week.
With PSN You Get What You Pay For
On more than one occasion I have heard PS3 gamers ridicule the idea of paying for Xbox Live (XBL) memberships. "Why pay for multiplayer when PlayStation Network (PSN) is free?" they asked. My response was always that you get what you pay for. With PSN now down for SIX WEEKS, I think that my answer has been borne out. With no economic incentive to improve (or even secure) the PSN, this is what you get. Capitalism vs. socialism in microcosm. Six weeks? Imagine if XBL was down for more than a day. It will never happen because XBL members have made an investment in Microsoft's gaming network and the folks in Redmond will never jeopardize that revenue stream. It's that simple. Free doesn't always mean better.
Wow, it’s been a while
I haven't posted anything substantive on games since Septermber last year. I've been a little busy. Got laid off in October last year; started my own business in November; elected to the Board of Elders at my Church; my infant daughter (now 13-months) still doesn't sleep through the night; building and maintaining my business website and building sites for customers.
As you can see, I've been pre-occupied. Doesn't mean I have not been gaming, though. My game time is much more limited to very late nights now. Bulletstorm, Dragon Age II, Homefront, Fallout New Vegas, F1 2010, Black Ops, the Gears of War 3 beta. I'll be posting some thoughts on those games soon. Stay tuned.