If any developer could breath life into the stale brawler genre, it would definitely be the always over-the-top and uber-stylish Platinum Games. As it stands, a lot of the gameplay simply looks like an online version of Bayonetta, which is not a bad thing. This game just stepped onto my radar in a big way. Anarchy Reigns will be released later this year on Xbox 360 and PS3. Which Platinum or SEGA characters would you like to take control of?

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.

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.

It is always a pain to find someone that lives near you to play the same PSP game via adhoc. It is also awkward to sit in the same room looking at two different small screens. But luckily Sony has released the adhocParty system will be releasing the adhocParty system “soon” to help reduce those awkward moments.

The adhocParty software will allow PSP owners who own a PS3 to connect to other PSP owners over the Playstation Network to play PSP games that have an adhoc mode. It will also allow the players to talk to each other with the PlayStation Eye or Wireless Headset. To top it all off, the software will be free to download.

So all of you people out there with the new Gran Turismo and Monster Hunter Freedom Unite will be able to play each other in the comforts of your living rooms. As for me I will be getting out Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness and purchasing Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days in hopes that there are others out there to throw people at.

[Source Playstation.Blog]

Atlus usually has great taste when it comes to what games they publish. With Demon’s Soul being their first PS3 game, they have now chosen their next game to publish.  3D Dot Game Heroes, which they have already announced will be available for the PS3 in May 2010, will cost only $39.99!

A long, long time ago, the Dark King Onyx brought an age of darkness upon Dotnia Kingdom.  Only by the bravery of a hero with a legendary sword was Onyx sealed in an orb, restoring peace to the world.  But Fuelle, a powerful Dark Bishop, has stolen the orb, and with it, peace.  Dotnia requires a hero once more!  Can you live up to the legend?

I don’t know about you, but that sounds awfully similar to some action-adventure games I played when I was young.

Key Features

Ultimate retro love letter — Seamlessly fusing new and old, the golden era of gaming is felt in every detail of this lovingly-crafted adventure. Eye-popping visuals capture the nostalgic charm of pixel graphics in cutting edge 3D. Simple, but deep action-adventure gameplay is a throwback to the 8-bit era. Veterans will find references and jokes that pay homage to the great games of yore.

Awe and adventure live again — Embark on the next generation of classic exploration and discovery in a grand story-based quest. A hero sets out to gain the power of the six sages and the six orbs that protected the kingdom of Dotnia, which now stands on the verge of destruction.

Customize your hero — When pixels are your building blocks, the possibilities are unlimited. Freely edit the look of your character, or design one completely from scratch, and then trade designs with friends via a compatible USB storage device. Your hero’s blade is also upgradeable, letting you add length and width to create a sword that fills the whole screen!

You can also check out the official 3D Dot Game Heroes website here.

The Xbox 360 is not the only console with a recent special game edition console now. At Tokyo Game Show Final Fantasy XIII developer Yoshinori Kitase revealed a FFXIII-theme limited edition of the PS3.

The FFXIII PS3 will include all the regular bells and whistles that come with the new PS3 slim but will also have a 250 GB hard drive, a white Dualshock 3, and an awesome pink “Lightning” theme. It will be available for purchase December 17th (unfortunately so far only in Japan).

[Source Kotaku]

Demon’s Souls will be available to kick your ass on the PS3 October 6 for $59.99. There will also be a “Deluxe Edition” available for an extra $10 that will also include a 160-page strategy guide and collectible slipcase.

Graphically, the game is a stunning achievement for the 360. Dark corridors have never been such a pleasure to skulk down. No detail is spared. The lazy whirlings of ceiling fans cast windmill shadows on the walls, water drips from the age old arterial water mains of the oldest correctional facility in Gotham, and the tattered sleeves of torn straight jackets waggle lifelessly from the flailing arms of escaped mad men. Rocksteady has crafted a world that is an absolute pleasure to explore. Given any amount of time, I’m sure one could still manage to find something previously missed.

The game’s audio is a great boon as well. The characters are all voice acted by some familiar actors. Mark Hamill lends his spectacular talent to the voice of the Joker, gracing you with his vocal skills not only during cutscenes, but in raucous heckling through the PA system of Arkham Asylum as well. Voice acting aside, for every bit of attention to detail that they spent with the graphics, they shared with the environmental sound. The whoosh of Batman’s cape as he spins to connect with a foe at his aft, the roar of the wind as he glides through the sky, or the thunk of the grapple gun finding purchase on a distant ledge: everything is carefully concerted to provide the most immersive experience possible.

People that are not fans of the Batman series need not worry. Rocksteady has crafted a game where, if Batman were not present and all the franchised characters were replaced, it would still happen to be an incredibly engaging game. The addition of Batman’s mythos to that equation simply made the title all the more exciting. The character bios and Riddler challenges provide plenty of new information for those already into the franchise and are a great launching point for any neophyte’s Dark Knight journey.

My only real issue with the game is that, unless you know exactly what you’re looking for in your environment, you will be spending a great majority of your time in Detective Mode which renders the entire world in x-ray blue. Many times I found myself forgetting that the world did in fact have colors, and then I would switch my visor off for a moment and marvel at the detailed surroundings. I only suffered from one or two graphical glitches, but it was just enough that you could simply get into character and blame it on Scarecrow’s fear gas and consider it adding to the experience.

All things considered, this game is paramount. Every year, there is one game that defines the interactive media art form for that moment in time. 2007 had Bioshock, 2008 had Fallout 3, and based on it’s originality and intuitiveness, I think it is safe to say that Batman: Arkham Asylum will be the signature title of 2009.

Final Verdict – 9/10