If touch-screen interfaces float your boat, then take a look…. here.

The intro of the second title in the series finds the player controlling Subject Delta, a Big Daddy with little to no memories of his past. Delta wakes up a decade after the events of Bioshock to the voice of familiar secondary character Brigid Tenenbaum. It seems over the last 10 years, things have been getting even worse in Rapture. For those familiar with the shit/fan levels of discord in the first title, one can imagine that the city is pretty biblically boned. Thanks to the atmospheric Big Daddy suit, you’ll be able to wade through the damaged and submerged portions of Rapture, as well as a few trips out to the ocean floor, allowing you to gain some pretty awe inspiring vistas of the underwater metropolis.

One new feature that was never introduced in the first title is the multiplayer mode. Fans of FPS mainstays like Call of Duty and Halo will find a lot of familiar mechanics here. Individual Loadouts can be arranged to combine a vast number of weapons, plasmids, and gene enhancers for your character. These weapons and plasmids are unlocked by gaining experience, or ADAM in this case.

ADAM is acquired through many different means. Hacking a gun turret to only target your opponents will earn you ADAM, not to mention giving you an advantageous position on the field. Killing your opponents and then researching their corpses to gain a damage boost against them will also earn ADAM. ADAM can even be collected in vials which are spawned only once in areas all over the maps detailed environments and secret passages. All of these things combine to force the players to stay moving around the field in order to take advantage of opportunities to gain ADAM.

There are several different modes of play, including renditions of Free-for-all, Team Deathmatch, Territories, and Capture the Little Sister. All of these game types feature the 1959 Civil War between Atlas and Ryan, with the player fighting on the side of one of the charismatic would-be-Rulers of Rapture. The whole experience is wrapped up in a stylish hub where your character can change weapon loadouts, costumes, and listen to audio journals from the main characters as they fight through this Civil War. Everything blends together to create a multiplayer experience that feels more like a canonical account of the civil strife going on in Rapture during the actions of the first Bioshock title. The multiplayer experience is innovative and easily on par with many of the other popular multiplayer titles out right now.

My only issue with the feature so far has been a small margin (approx. 5-10%) of matches which were cripplingly laggy. I’m sure this could merely be the rush on the servers for being the first day of release, or an early bug that will be quickly resolved. Time will tell, but for now I think that the inconvenience is minor enough to ignore for the sake of such a fresh multiplayer dynamic.

One of the other main differences in the first two titles is the ability to dual-wield plasmids and weapons. This allows players to execute a quick left trigger freeze plasmid followed by a right trigger shotgun blast moments later, causing the splicer on the receiving end to shatter into pieces. The hacking mini-game has been replaced as well, with focus on mid-combat hacking being a very viable option. Instead of completing series of tubes, you’re now tasked with stopping a moving needle on green zones instead of red zones. The rest of the action will not be paused however, requiring you to dive into cover in order to turn a sentry gun against your enemies.

All things considered, I think the game is innovative enough to warrant some more accolades to be piled onto 2K Marin’s titan shoulders. It remains to be seen if and when the lag issues will be dealt with, so unless you’re the type that doesn’t mind the occasional setback, you may want to wait a bit before dropping any money on the title. Otherwise, I think the innovative multiplayer is more then ample enough to warrant a solid regret-free purchase. One more thing, if you can still manage to get the swag-riddled Collector’s Edition, don’t make my mistake of missing out on it. Buy the damn thing, the multitude of goodies are more than worth the cash.

Find out more after the jump.

Many of the game mechanics follow in the footsteps of musical puzzle giant Lumines. The player is tasked with placing Tetris-like blocks across a large grid as a bar moves across the screen to the tempo of the audio track. Placing these pieces in a manner that creates at least a 3×3 square will form what is known as a “quad”. These quads will fill up slowly and can be expanded for as long as the quad continues to fill up. Once the quad fills completely, it is stamped into the grid, gaining Coverage of the board.  The goal is to attain as close to 100% coverage to gain points and unlock new levels.

Each level features a unique track donated pro-bono by musical artists Moby, Phillip Glass, Paul Hartnoll, Fred Deakin, and Marcus Schulz. Depending on the size and shape of active quads, a variety of audio layers will be added to the audio track. Meanwhile, the rest of your inactive bricks will provide different chime effects as the bar scans across them on the grid. This builds up slowly in the beginning, but once you start keeping up with multiple active quads at one time and covering the board with bricks, the audio experience intensifies.

There are two play modes, Timed Mode and Free Mode. Timed mode gives you either three, six, or nine minutes to cover the board as many times as possible, with coverage earning you more time. Free Mode lets you handle things at your own pace, giving you no time frame to cover the board.

Multiple leaderboards are the only Live capable portion of the game right now, but if this version is successful, future iterations could potentially include multiplayer.

All in all, the price is right at only 5 dollars considering there are only 5 tracks to play with right now. If you’ve got the points burning a hole in your pocket, and you’re a fan of musical games like Lumines and Frequency, by all means give Chime a shot. Also, you’ll be met with a rather cute achievement as soon as you purchase the game.

<EDIT> Thanks to Retodon8 from Gamerdna for linking to this Youtube tutorial by game developers Zoe Mode. The vid does a great job emphasizing all above points made. </EDIT>

In Return to Ostagar, the player is tasked with returning to the battlefield of Ostagar where a majority of the Grey Wardens were exterminated by the Darkspawn. Arriving on the scene, you find there are no survivors and a lot of Darkspawn to be punished. Along your way, you’ll reclaim the lost arms and armor of King Cailan and Duncan. Not only do these look pretty cool, they are statistically superior to much of the armor in the game.

This is basically where the content stops, however. Ostagar hasn’t changed much, aside from now being covered in snow and in a state of crumbling disrepair. There is one additional achievement to be earned, and all in all the Return to Ostagar mission takes all of 30 minutes if you’re quick about it. For the amount of content, I can’t personally see what caused all the delays.

The price point seems to be on par with the rest of the DLC for the title. 15 bucks will get you a new character and a few new quests and items. 7 bucks will get you a new quest, a storage box, some new powers, and some new items. And apparently for 5 bucks you can just get a new quest and some items. If you’ve already got the MS points burning a hole in your pocket, or 5 bucks is just a trifle to you, by all means add this little bit of spice to your already zesty RPG experience. If not, I would certainly wait for the chance of a sale or DLC bundle to be released on the cheap.

First, a brief history lesson. The game is directed by Hideki Kamiya, the man behind Devil May Cry and Viewtiful Joe. The development team at the helm of the project is Platinum Games, many of whom used to be a part Capcom’s Clover Studios. As such, the team draws powerful inspiration from their previous works including Okami and Mad World. Now, add publisher Sega and their vast library of intellectual property to the mix, and you have not only a creature of exceptional breeding, but a massive nod to just about every game in the action genre. If you are a gamer who has been anywhere but under a rock for the past decade, there’s bound to be plenty of referential humor to make you chuckle. I won’t spoil too many of them for you, but one entire level is practically a complete remake of the first level of Sega’s arcade shooter Space Harrier, replete with modernized background music.

Referential humor aside, the gameplay mechanics here are solid. Strap guns to not only the wrists of the main character, but also the heels of her shoes, then give her a variety of melee weapons, and you have the makings of a devastatingly immersive combo system. Jumping, dodging, punching, and kicking seamlessly blend together to perform fluid variations of whoop-ass. The game also throws in an alchemy mini-game that allows you to throw together lollipop power-ups and other items by using materials gained through beating up enemies and exploration. Bayonetta offers an Easy and Very Easy difficulty for those looking for a much more casual instant gratification approach to their gaming.

Having played the game for just over 8 hours, and on Easy mode no less, I am only coming to the conclusion of my first play-through. So, if you are a fan of the action genre and enjoy throwing over the top combos through multiple completions of the 10 hour campaign, this may very well be worth the money to throw down on your very own copy. For the uncertain, I would definitely drop this in your Gamefly queue or pick it up from your local purveyor of rentable media and give the thing a quick once-over. For the really, really uncertain, well I guess you’ll just have to wait until I render my final verdict.

The strategy genre has always wrestled with complexity versus accessibility. W! Games seeks to craft a more user-friendly strategy game with their upcoming title Greed Corp for PSN and XBox Live Arcade.

“The mechanics should be transparent, the winning strategy should not,” say the devs.  According to their blog, the developers seek to keep a high level of strategic depth while giving the player fewer actions to memorize.

Greed Corp will be the first in a series of titles existing within the rich, industrial world of Mistbound.  Today marks the creation of the Mistbound Community Site, where one may sign up for a chance to receive the game for free upon its release. Also released to the public on this date is a rather stunning intro trailer into this bold frontier of Mistbound, which may be witnessed after the jump.

The level design has been improved greatly between the two titles. Whereas many of the stages from the first game felt like mundane treks through various generic cityscapes and sewer lines, each level in L4D2 contains something unique to set it apart from the others. The first stage sends the survivors down from the roof of a burning high-rise hotel into a zombie-filled mall. After that, the survivors find themselves fighting clown zombies in an amusement park, crazed zombie yokels in the bayou, and escaping through downtown New Orleans.

Various environmental effects add to the terror in this title.  While wading waist-deep in a swamp or river, survivors are slowed greatly. This causes the players to seek out higher ground throughout the chaos. One level finds the players traveling through a suburban neighborhood to retrieve gasoline cans from a sugar mill, only to have the area completely transformed on their return trip by a blinding rain storm and flash flood. As if the onslaught of undead weren’t enough to put you on your nerves, gamers are now forced to acknowledge the environment in a big way.

Another addition to the mix is uncommon infected. These zombies don’t command the great powers that the special infected do, but still have something to set them apart from the rest of the horde. The best example is the clown zombie of the amusement park episode. Amongst the common infected of the Dark Carnival are zombies which will, when alerted, squeak their shoes and attract even more flesh-eaters to the cabal. It becomes clear that many of these uncommon infected become priority considering their unique and sometimes inconvenient effects.

New special infected have been included as well. The Jockey will leap onto the shoulders of a survivor and yank them away from the group, pulling them into dangerous situations, out of sight from the rest of the group, or even pulling them off of ledges. The Spitter can lay down a patch of bubbling acid that causes severe damage to those that stay in it too long, especially devastating against survivors who are already incapacitated or pinned down by another infected. Last but not least are the Chargers. As implied by the name, a Charger will barrel down on a group of survivors, scattering everyone in its path and slam one unlucky soul into the ground repeatedly until it is stopped.

A new gametype has been added for multiplayer entitled Scavenge. Similar to versus mode, teams in scavenge must take turns as zombies and survivors to either collect gas cans within a time limit or stop the opposing team from collecting them. Various techniques can be employed by both sides to achieve an end, and the action is made even more frantic by the stationary nature of the matches. At any given time, the special infected know exactly where the survivors are located.

Finally, the arsenal has been greatly improved this time around. There are now multiple types of shotguns, automatic weapons, and rifles to keep one’s ranged experience varied and intriguing. Melee weapons have also been introduced and can be used to replace the pistol as one’s sidearm. Magnums have even been included as a more powerful sidearm alternative to the original 15 round peashooter. Couple these powerful new weapons with much gorier zombie death animations, and the player is immediately and completely immersed in a visceral adrenaline-fueled undead bloodbath.

Due to the short wait between the two titles, I suspect that many expected there wouldn’t be as much new content added in such little time. In some ways, this is correct. The basic mechanics and elements of game play have been essentially kept intact, but for a title that got so much right the first time around, this is a good thing. The handful of new characters, weapons, and game mechanics that have been included act as a catalyst however, filling in the holes of the first game and providing a complete package that excels at bringing random strangers together to cooperate under threat of extinction.

Final Verdict – 10/10

Worth releasing this soon, no reason to keep this masterpiece from the fans. Valve knows how to make a good game. I played on the 360 version and have completed all 5 campaigns with various random XBox Live gamers.

To start, the player creates their character from a fairly straightforward character creator which is essentially a much simpler version of Origins‘ creator. The player’s character begins on a journey with their unit to the Deep Roads to do battle with the rising number of Darkspawn in the area. Barely escaping an ambush by an unusually large force of Darkspawn, you escape to the Dwarven capitol of Orzammar and attempt to rally support against the Darkspawn threat. Throughout the game, battle goes down on a hex grid in a style similar to the Might and Magic series. As you gain experience, you can level up your characters and assign their talents, giving you a little bit of insight into the way characters will advance in Origins.

For a program constructed in Flash, the visuals are fantastic. Characters and environments contain a high level of detail by Flash standards, thanks in great part to Adam Phillips of Brackenwood fame. My only beef with the visual design of the game is that the dungeons one must crawl through are quite mundane, repetitive, and flat. Some effort could have been made to at least throw in the illusion of vertical depth. One assumes that a massive series of underground caverns would not be a perpetually flat plane. All things considered, the visual experience is quite refined for a platform that is primarily used as a workplace time waster.

On its surface, Journeys is a pretty unassuming strategy RPG with some solid dialogue and graphics. As mentioned previously, EA2D has employed some distinguished veterans from the field of Flash gaming, so the game doesn’t mess around. Where the game truly shines is the way it factors into the overall Dragon Age marketing plan. For completing surveys, unlocking achievements, or accomplishing certain quests, one may unlock equipment which can be downloaded and used for your characters in Dragon Age: Origins. In this way, a continuity is created between platforms, and the IP gains integrity as a well-constructed, connected mythos. This manner of storytelling and multimedia integration is truly an epoch-making endeavor.

In terms of replayability, the game will take up several hours for each playthrough. Also, considering that the greatest of the unlockable items, the Helm of the Deep, requires an achievement that demands playing through the game as each of the three classes, it will take multiple replays of the game to unlock everything. The multiple dialog choices and varying talent specs for each class allow for a fresh experience each time, making the replays quite enjoyable.  Overall, between the immaculate crew of flash authors, brilliant marketing tactics, and superb storytelling, Dragon Age Journeys is a franchise that I look forward to seeing more of. Keep up the good work, EA2D.

Graphically, the game is fairly standard. Many of the textures are composed of fairly large pixels, giving everything a sort of choppy look. Combine this with the various graphical glitches seen throughout the game, and we’re left with something that seems to suffer greatly from the “get it out before Christmas” disease that plagues so many titles. Floors became invisible, ghost textures remained even after doors slid open to accommodate my conveyance, and camera angles even turned away from oncoming enemies, allowing them to slowly deplete my health bar from off screen while I remained helpless. Most of these detriments were only temporary inconveniences, but one can’t help but think that this could have been easily avoided.

The difficulty and adrenaline rush expected of the series have not been toned down any. At times, the rush of enemies seems endless, often exceeding the amount of foes Isaac Clarke ever had to take down at once in the original. The tenacity of your opponents will really get to you, and you’ll find yourself genuinely thankful for the occasional lull in combat or console hacking mini-game. There are a variety of hidden items for you to grab on your nonstop trek. The game will pause momentarily for you to take in a text log or video log, but audio logs will begin playing immediately through the speaker on the Wiimote, so you may want to turn the volume up on the peripheral to take it all in. At times, the game will give you a choice of two different paths, giving a few more options for replayability for those determined to find every hidden log in the game.

All things considered, the game does a good enough job at what it sets out to do. There is a pretty inspired narrative here, jumping from survivor to survivor to weave a delicate story outlining the events leading up to Isaac’s arrival on the scene. My only beef with the title is that it could have been technically a much more refined and completed piece with just a little more work. Also, it’s always refreshing to see a mature game on the Nintendo Wii; bonus points for it being Wii-exclusive. With a price tag of 50 bucks and the bevy of bogus bug blunders, the game may be more suited for a rental unless you’re a die-hard fan of the series, otherwise a lower price would be much more suited.

Final Verdict – 7.5/10