E3 2011 Preview – The Darkness II
FIRST LOOK
It’s been a little over four years since 2K Games released The Darkness, a game based on the hit Top Cow Productions comic book series about a mafia hitman named Jackie Estacado who finds out, during his twenty-first birthday, that he has within him a powerful demon that is now awake. Needless to say, it is this demon that made the first-person shooter a most interesting action game so it’s definitely good news that 2K Games reveals what we can come to expect from The Darkness II.
The demo that was shown to us picks up two years after the events of the first game so now Jackie is now Don of the Estacado crime family after having eliminated his Uncle who took from him something far more precious than just Jackie’s life. Being the new head of la familia isn’t without its problems but what is weighing heavily on Jackie’s mind is a new kind of enemy calling itself the Brotherhood – an organization that was started a long time ago by a saint.
The Brotherhood’s leader, a man who will be familiar to those who follow the comic book, wants the power of The Darkness for himself in order to save humanity. Of course, to take the demon’s powers he would have to kill Jackie Estacado and this is where the demo takes us to an assault on Jackie in an abandoned amusement park. You see, the Brotherhood has armed thugs who attack knowing full well what to expect from Jackie’s Darkness abilities.
As we can see, the enemy AI not only has your foes ducking for cover but also trying to use the light as a weapon seeing as the Darkness is only useful in the cover of darkness. That means the enemy will throw flash bang grenades, flares and even weapons capable of blinding Jackie with light. The Brotherhood soldiers even sport armor and a few of the tougher ones uses an electrical whip to snatch your weapons away from you.
Thankfully, Jackie has new tricks up his sleeves because now Jackie can dual-wield weapons as well as the snake-like tendrils that can both be used as well. One tendril can wrap itself around an enemy while the other can tear the bad guy’s heart right out of his chest. You’ll gain points for collecting hearts like in the first game but also by skillful kills as well. These points are good for upgrading Jackie’s firepower as well as Darkness powers in any Talent Shrines you might find.
This brings us to the new Darkness powers such as Gun Channeling that can be used to give your firepower more of a kick and ammo relief. You can keep upgrading your powers to give you an even better edge in battle such as the ability to see your enemy through objects. This is but one of the many Darkness powers we can expect in the game.
Visually, the game takes on a different look than the first game to fit the comic book’s artwork, although I’m happy to report that it’s really not a bad look for the game and not a very drastic step away from the graphics of the original either. The Darklings still look downright creepy and comical.
We can come to expect the game sometime in 2011 for the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 so we will keep you posted with more news about this fantastic-looking sequel.
E3 2011 Preview – Saints Row: The Third
FIRST LOOK
To us, the Saints Row games have always been considered Grand Theft Auto’s crazy younger brother. It’s Charlie Sheen to Rockstar’s Emilio Estevez. It’s the straight-up out-of-control guilty pleasure of free-roaming games that let’s you be as crazy and destructive as you want to be and it has a great sense of humor to boot.
So you can bet we are certainly excited about Saints Row: The Third, which takes all the things we love about first and superior sequel and pushes the envelope in new ways that go well beyond newly updated graphics that make everything look detailed and just plain awesome. We got to see the preview for the Xbox 360 and I have to say that it already looks amazing and outrageously insane.
The Saints Row gang is back and this time even more powerful and even popular as the Row finds themselves taking over the city of Steel Port. Of course, that won’t be easy with rival gangs in the area such as the Luchadores, a gang obviously influenced by Mexican pro wrestlers. Still, with the city wide open for the taking, you find yourself in the prime position to do a little street cleaning Saints Row-style. With various weapons at your disposal, as well as the ability to call in an air strike, causing mayhem in the streets is still a blast.
From what we seen from the in-game demonstration, The Third still relies heavily on its brilliant and twisted sense of humor. The character (the game allows you to create your character anyway you see fit) runs amok in Steel Port and from what we saw you can practically unleash a number of moves on pedestrians such as head slams, kicks to the groin and you can even slap people around with a big purple dildo! Oh yeah, we did say that the game’s sense of humor is brilliant and twisted.
We are told you can design your character to suit your tastes so whether you like to play as a hulking fat man or a sexy femme fatale. You can also dress your character up by entering a shop or you can even run in the buff (a slider will allow how much nudity you’ll get to see).
The character also has a most unusual way of stealing cars and that’s by jumping into it Dukes of Hazzard-style as you peel out and take the insanity to the streets on a completely new level. Since the Saints are popular, people will even cheer you on as you perform tricks such as doing a donut or just peeling out. There are a number of vehicles, one of which is a van that sports the face of a familiar Saints Row lieutenant from past Saints Row games. Then there’s a harrier jet complete with hover mode and heat-seeking missiles.
In fact, you’ll find many returning characters from Saints Row 2 including Shandi and Johnny as we witness in the demonstration of a mission from the game. The mission has these two characters, along with your character and a new member as the Saints rob a bank owned by a rival gang since all the bank tellers seem to be strapping heat … including the old lady behind the counter. Suddenly, the bank turns into a bloodbath as the Saints try to make off with the bank vault itself.
This is just a small taste of what we can expect from The Third and, from the looks of it already, this is looking to be one of THQ’s biggest and best Saints Row game yet.
We can expect the game to be release on November 15, 2011.
E3 2011 Report: Nintendo Reveals the Nintendo Wii U
Just as it was expected, there was a long line in the huge space reserved for Nintendo and the reason – aside from some great new titles from the house that Mario built – is that Nintendo was showing off the successor to the Nintendo Wii.
The Nintendo Wii U was finally shown to the crowds and we actually got to touch it. Well, our own Clarke Kent did as you can see from this picture and we ask Nintendo for forgiveness since I was witness to Clarke drooling on it! This really is a drool-worthy new platform.
What we saw was the pad itself with its controllers and screen as well as the console in action as it displayed graphics that are right up there with the Xbox 360. One game we saw on display was Aliens: Colonial Marines and it looked really good.
Check out the Nintendo Wii Remote next to it.
We’ll bring you more on this new console sans the drool this time.
E3 2011 Preview – Aliens: Colonial Maries
FIRST LOOK
You know things are off to a good start when Randy Pitchford, President of Gearbox Software, says that Aliens: Colonial Maries will be a true sequel to James Cameron’s “Aliens” film.
“We’ve been borrowing from ‘Aliens’ for a long time now,” Pitchford says as he mentions the Facehugger-like creatures from the Half Life games. “So we thought it would be about time to finally do an Aliens game that is true to the Cameron film as well as nod to the Ridley Scott film. We even have 20th Century Fox onboard.”
“IT’S GAME OVER, MAN! GAME OVER!”
What Pitchford means as a “true sequel” is that Colonial Marines – a first-person shooter – will take place after the events seen in “Aliens” so we will know what happened to fan favorite characters like Hudson when a new group of Marines are sent to the familiar stomping grounds of LV-426, the teraforming colony that Ellen Ripley, Corporal Hicks, Newt and Bishop escaped from in the movie.
We got to see the game in action as we are introduced, briefly, to the situation that has a group of hardened Marines fighting a new horde of alien xenomorphs that managed to survive the blast. You’ll find the recognizable hallways, communications room and laboratory straight out of the movie and it’s actually thrilling to find it in an even more frightening than it was when Ripley and her Marine escort searched through it.
“LET ME INTRODUCE A FRIEND OF MINE.”
The Marines will be packing the same firepower from the movie as well as you’ll find yourself armed with the same machine gun with grenade launching capabilities as well as a number of other weapons that include shotguns and even a flamethrower. You’ll be able to place a gun turret ala the deleted scene from the movie so you can have extra firepower take down a swarm coming down a hallway. Even the motion tracker from the film is among your equipment so you’ll hear the familiar sound it makes when it detects movement.
In the live demonstration we got to see, we witnesses the Marines in action as they suddenly found themselves surrounded by a swarm. As Marines mow down the creatures, their acidic blood sprays and even limbs fly. We even see what they look like up close if one manages to get the drop on you. It’s quite a sight to see the creatures crawling out of vents from below and above as well as watch them crawl across the walls with their tails failing.
In the middle of all of this, we also get a peek at a new species of alien, one that seems to bulldoze anything in its path at a fast pace. Since its head is thicker and its skin a lot tougher, bringing it down by using small arms isn’t a very good idea.
Pitchford also made it loud and clear that Colonial Marines supports co-op play so you can have four-players taking up the role of other Marines to lend a hand during the campaign. Your friends can drop in and out of the game at any point as well.
Aliens: Colonial Marines will be available for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC and the new Nintendo Wii U. Pitchford didn’t get into the specifics but he promises that the Nintendo Wii U version will bring new gameplay mechanics that make good use of the new platform’s capabilities.
This game has a release date of Spring 2012.
Monthly Editorial (June 2011): Pre-E3 Report
It’s June in Los Angeles as the days are sunnier, grills firing up, cold beer running down the gullet of my alcoholic neighbor and the LA Convention Center will be home to the Electronic Entertainment Expo … or, as it is better known, E3. You can certainly bet that we at Game Revolver will be attending and bringing you news from the showroom floor.
There’s a lot to see this year as Nintendo plans to unveil their Project Café secret weapon and both Sony and Microsoft have their own surprises up their sleeves. Oh yeah, then there’s the games that will make their debut during the show and so far the lineup is making our mouths water. Trust me, when that happens we look way too creepy to be out in public but who can blame us when there are some big names on our list.
So, gathering the troops before we leave for the convention center, I thought I’d get the crew’s opinion of what they’re really looking forward to at E3 2011. Here’s what they said:
Angelina Sandoval – This is my first E3 so I’m just excited to find myself being there after hearing so much about it. I bought new sneakers because they tell me your feet will bleed by the end of the day. So I’ll be the girl who will be jogging down the halls like a loon.
Nick Valentino – True story, mates. Our Editor-in-Chief is blind as an Australian bat in the near dark. So, last year’s E3, I entered the dark corners of 2K Games’ rooms with him and he cried out saying he couldn’t see so I had to guide him by holding his hand. When we finally entered the lighted corridors where the screening rooms werre, people around us gave us a strange look and some smart ass said: “Hey, no holding hands in the screening room!” I look forward to more embarrassing moments like that.
Jerry Zacarias – Seeing as this if my first E3, I am looking forward just to be there among fellow gaming journalists and game developers ready to show me what they got. Ok, my wife left the room. I’m just here to see all the booth babes. Oh E3 booth babes, you might not have anything to do with the games but seeing you there pretending you like a plethora of gaming dorks like us taking your picture is enough to make me love you all the more deeply.
Natalie Romano – Project Café is what I’m really looking forward to seeing up close and personal. I still remember waiting in a very long line just to see the Nintendo 3DS last year so I know Nintendo won’t disappoint. Well, here’s to waiting in another long line.
Clarke Kent – I’m am looking forward to seeing anything Activision has to offer, especially Halo 4 since seeing the trailer with none other than Master Chief “awakening.” I can’t get enough Master Chief. I think I might actually be having an addiction problem.
Valentina Del Toro – I’m still waiting for Bible Adventures from three E3’s ago because – true story – the people showing this game off knew they had a disaster of Biblical proportions (pun intended) and looked embarrassed when they were showing it to me. Other than that, I look forward to see which game developer is hunky. I mean, the guys have the hot booth babes so what do we girls get? It’s not fair right? So, I’ll be scoping out which game maker is hot and let you gaming ladies know.
Details for PlayStation Network and Qriocity Customer Appreciation Program in North America
Sony’s SCEA has finally released its plan to make it up to PlayStation and PSP owners by revealing their Customer Appreciation Program and the free games as well as extras we can come to expect when the PlayStation Store is finally up and running. Here’s the details that come from the PlayStation Blog:
Now that some PlayStation Network and Qriocity services have been restored and you’re once again enjoying online gaming and entertainment, we’re happy to provide details about the “Welcome Back” appreciation program for customers in North America. We developed the program as an expression of our gratitude for your patience, support and continued loyalty during the service outage. From all of us at PlayStation, thank you and welcome back!
This package will be made available to all existing registered PlayStation Network and Qriocity users in North America (US and Canada), and will be made available shortly after we have fully restored the service. More specific details about these offers and eligibility requirements will be posted as the services go live.
All PlayStation Network customers can select two PS3 games from the following list. The games will be available for 30 days shortly after PlayStation Store is restored and can be kept forever.
PLAYSTATION 3 Game List
Dead Nation
inFAMOUS
LittleBigPlanet
Super Stardust HD
Wipeout HD + Fury
For PSP owners, you will be eligible to download two PSP games from the following list. The games will be available for 30 days shortly after PlayStation Store is restored and can be kept forever.
PSP Game List
LittleBigPlanet (PSP)
ModNation Racers
Pursuit Force
Killzone Liberation
A selection of “On Us” rental movie titles will be available to PlayStation Network customers over one weekend, where Video Service is available. Those titles will be announced soon.
30 days free PlayStation Plus membership for non PlayStation Plus subscribers.
Existing PlayStation Plus subscribers will receive an additional 60 days of free subscription.
Existing Music Unlimited Premium Trial subscription members will receive an additional 30 days of free premium subscription.
Additional 30 days + time lost for existing members of Music Unlimited Premium/Basic subscription free of charge for existing Premium/Basic members.
To welcome users Home, PlayStation Home will be offering 100 free virtual items. Additional free content will be released soon, including the next addition to the Home Mansion personal space, and Ooblag’s Alien Casino, an exclusive game.
We’d like to thank all of our publishing and development partners who’ve contributed to the Welcome Back program, including Bigbig Studios, Codeglue, Digital Leisure, Guerilla Games, Heavy Water, Housemarque, Lockwood, Loot, Mass Media, Media Molecule, SCE Cambridge Studios, SCE Studio Liverpool, SCE San Diego Studios, and Sucker Punch Productions. We couldn’t have created such a compelling package without them!
As a reminder, you will be able to access the above content shortly after services are fully restored. We are doing everything we can to make that happen as soon as possible. Please visit the following sites for more information about the Welcome Back program in Europe and Latin America.
OUR TAKE: We love feeling appreciated and this is a really nice gesture from Sony seeing as these free games are actually excellent titles. If you haven’t played inFamous, for instance, there is no no excuse not to own this gem and LittleBigPlanet is a platform classic worth owning. If you’re a PSP owner, Killzone Liberation is a Must Have and Pursuit Force is a real blast.
LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game – Xbox 360 Review
Publisher: Disney Interactive Studios
Developer: TT Games
Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PSP, PC, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo 3DS
Genre: Adventure
MSRP: $49.99
ESRB: E10+
Release Date: May 10, 2011
Review By: Eduardo Zacarias
It was hard not to see this one coming but after having given LEGO versions of everything from the Star Wars universe to the magical world of Harry Potter; it was definitely about time the LEGO gaming franchise finally embraced the Pirates of the Caribbean series. As it turns out, LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game for the Xbox 306 is a perfect fit for the series and makes for one fun game set in the high seas.
Much like past LEGO games, especially those with violent yet memorable scenes such as the ones you’d expect in the Indiana Jones movies, the violence takes a backseat to a more amiable adventure with more than enough action to make each level exciting. On top of that, the charming comedic – albeit still voiceless – interactions of the characters make for a good time whether you fit the game’s intended target audience age or not. LEGO Pirates manages to capture the feel, look and settings of all three films plus the upcoming On Stranger Tides movie.
The game starts from the very beginning as we are introduced, via a funny cut scene, to Captain Jack Sparrow who happens to be a pirate. It is on land that he meets the dashing (even for a LEGO character) Will Turner who always had eyes for the fair Elizabeth Swann. In an instant, these characters become a part of a grand adventure that spans the course of each film’s main events. You’ll find yourself joined by the familiar cast as well from Captain Barbossa to – personal favorite in the game – Davy Jones.
Traveller’s Tales does a great job making many memorable sequences from the films loads of fun to play such as when Jack Sparrow’s sword fight on a moving wheel or taking on Davy Jones’ assortment of cursed pirates. Like every LEGO game, you’ll have the ability to switch between characters with the push of a button or you can have a friend assume the role of the secondary character. You’ll need certain characters to carry out certain tasks. Elizabeth, for instance, has the ability to jump really high so you’ll need her to climb up to areas that Jack or Will can’t reach on their own.
Of course, all the other usual elements are back including collecting LEGO studs, unlocking new characters to use and the platforming bits that are a big part of every LEGO game. Of course, some of the best (and funny) stuff don’t come from the movie whether they involve monkeys, goats or pigs. Speaking of goats, Jack gets to ride one and it’s downright hilarious. There are even some great moments in the On Stranger Tides chapter of the game. I won’t spoil the plot but there are some interesting characters and situations that make this a really good part of the game.
Unfortunately, there are a few weak spots in the game and most of them will be familiar to anyone who picked up a LEGO title. You’ll often find yourself getting killed thanks to the other characters and oftentimes they will get themselves killed by falling off a ledge or crowding you so you’re the one who falls off the ledge. Enemies tend to respawn at the most inconvenient time when you’re concentrating on solving many of the game’s simple puzzles.
My biggest gripe is one of the more obvious, though, and that is the lack of online gameplay. How fun would it be to play with a friend online without split-screen? This game was definitely meant to be played with a buddy and the lack of online gameplay just feels like a missed opportunity.
Gameplay-wise, the game adds more than enough things to do and reasons to play again. The hub that allows you to enter different chapters in the game offers a peek at all the interesting characters you can use to replay a favorite sequence and possibly even discover things you missed the first time around or couldn’t access without a rare character.
As far as the graphics are concerned, though, the game could have looked a lot more spectacular and that’s even considering the fact that the characters are LEGO. The environments are meant to be exotic and they’re actually easy on the eyes but then again things such as waterfalls or water in general could have been better on the Xbox 360 or even on the PS3. Still, you’ll find the characters’ gestures and movements do a great job of conveying emotion. Then there’s the sound, which is simply composed of sound effects as well as that amazing Hans Zimmer score from the films.
Despite a few annoyances, LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean manages to be addictively fun enough to keep you playing for a very long time. With more than enough collectables and reasons to replay the game again with all the things you unlocked the first time around, fans of the LEGO series or anyone who really enjoys Captain Jack Sparrows adventures (including parts from the new film) will find a lot to like about this adventure game.
GAME FRONTLINE RATING
Gameplay: 7.5
Graphics: 7.5
Sound: 8.0
Appeal: 7.5
Overall: 7.5
Review copy provided by Disney Interactive Studios
