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?

Is Modern Warfare 2 getting a tad bit stale?  Looks like the developers are releasing a bit of an addition come the end of March.

No word yet on what exactly is to be included in the DLC, but it seems fairly obvious that the 360 will be getting at least a map pack.  It has been rumored that other updates, like additional co-op missions, may be released also.

Click the pic above to be redirected to the announcement site.

**UPDATE**

According to a Major Nelson interview with Robert Bowling, seems some final details and a price have been attached to the Stimulus Package DLC.

1200MP…. 1200…..   That is correct.  For a map pack release of 3 new maps and 2 community favorites from Modern Warfare (Crash and Overgrown), you’ll be expected to shell out $15.  Indeed.

Catch the entire interview with map descriptions and a little Infinity Ward PR 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.

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.

Left 4 Dead 2 takes so much of what was great about the first title and galvanizes it with some sturdy new elements. As before, we are following the exploits of four survivors of the sweeping zombie infection of the United States. The game takes place in and around New Orleans and features a high school football coach, a cynical riverboat gambler type, another nondescript female, and an unlikely storyteller. Each chapter this time tells a linear tale, starting with our survivors being stranded at an evacuation point atop a hotel, ending with their eventual dust-off on the other side of town, and including everything in between.

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.

The game follows Sofi, a young girl who follows an increasingly dangerous path through her dreamscape. Sofi constantly moves towards the right side of the screen, and it is up to the player to place randomly selected tiles into the level to adjust her path and steer her clear of obstacles. Despite Sofi’s slow gait, this gets very frantic, very fast.

Graphically, this game is exceptionally pleasing. For a game that handles the subject of dreams, the visuals certainly do the subject matter justice. Landscapes vary from level to level, with backdrops and obstacles running the gamut from pleasant valleys to treacherous, craggy, oceanic trenches.

The musical score varies depending on the landscape Sofi is traversing. While utilizing a staircase tile, the music will lightly step upwards in pitch, for example. The ambient nature of the music complements the dreaminess of the piece very nicely, creating a whimsical sensory experience that is brilliant and inspired.

Overall, the game has enough to keep you going back to get the most out of your money. To collect all of the fireflies, the collectible items placed throughout each level, requires many replays of each level. The challenges can be very unforgiving, causing me to step away from the game for a while in a few situations. So, those of you who are fans of surpassing paramount difficulty will be quite pleased.

Final Verdict : 8.5

I must admit this trailer gets me psyched to play this game. Only twelve more days to go.

If you’re one of the people that  took advantage of the recent price drop for the XBox 360 and are looking for a good place to start on the console, Capcom has got you covered. Now available for retail, Capcom has released Dead Rising, Devil May Cry 4, and Lost Planet: Colonies Edition in one platinum-coated pack for the extremely low price of $40 USD. I can speak from experience that Dead Rising is definitely a worthwhile game. I have never personally experienced the other two, so I may be looking into this deal myself. Happy hunting!

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

While playing through Batman: Arkham Asylum, I realized that there are a lot of random characters that have little to do with the storyline aside from being passive observers whirled about in Joker’s chaotic maelstrom. In an effort to lend some voice to these ancillary characters, I will be writing small letters, journal entries, etc. from the perspective of various guards and inmates of Arkham Asylum. I will try to keep these as spoiler free as possible, and so far I think I’ve accomplished that. So, without further ado, the first installment of Letters from Arkham.

Henry Smith – Some crazy bitch dressed like one of them Frenchy circus types nearly dropped a damn service elevator on my head. Wouldn’t have gotten out of the way in time if the Batman hadn’t pulled me aside. I guess it IS good that Batman spook was around when Joker sprung his buddies. Guy still freaks my stuff out, though…

Louie Green – Hell of a day to be on guard duty. I come in to work and they send me outside to guard the mansion. They keep playin’ this damn tune on the radio all day, it’s really buggin’ me. Found out some asshole guard helped spring the Joker. Jerk got what was coming to him, sounds like. Batman tells me Joker’s running the show around here now, turns out he’s the one that ordered me outside.

Dr. Penny Young – 5 of the Joker’s goons decided to corner me in the X-Ray room. They thought that I would make a good candidate to help them out with whatever this whole operation of theirs is on Arkham Island. Before I even had the chance to answer their persuasions, two of the damn walls get blown in, knocking out my would-be captors. Who swoops in to save me but the Batman. I always thought that guy was just a myth to spook children into being good. Seems the big black bat is trapped on this island with the rest of us, I guess there is a bright side to all of this.

That is all for the first installment of Letters from Arkham. If any of you readers are so literarily inclined and also happen to be playing through Arkham Asylum, feel free to send in your own letters to dpulley@geekspective.com and I’d be happy to include them in the next digest.

It seems that Joker’s been up to his old antics. The beginning of the game finds Batman bringing him in to Joker’s on again off again residence, Arkham Asylum. Shortly after arriving, Joker manages to break free of his captors and sets his followers free, quickly gaining total control over the entire island citadel. It is up to Batman’s combat and investigative prowess to unlock the mysteries behind Joker’s plot, and to bring the asylum under control from the inside.

The combat system is one of the most entertaining and intuitive I’ve ever experienced. By simply pressing X for strikes and Y for counters, Bats unleashes a bevy of attack animations to knock out his opponents with cinematic precision and detail. Additional combo skills can be purchased upon leveling up, making the combo system into an even more deadly stylish experience.

Many of the opponents you encounter will be armed, forcing you to utilize Batman’s signature stealth to perform silent takedowns fr0m the shadows. As more and more of their partners drop, inmates will become increasingly nervous, affecting how observant they are of their surroundings. Using a variety of techniques, the predatory sections of the game on their own provide an espionage experience easily on par with the Metal Gear series.

On top of two gameplay mechanics that would each make for an excellent game on their own, The Riddler has 240 different challenges to be accomplished throughout the island. These challenges range from trophies that merely need to be located on the map, to solving riddles by taking a picture of the item which answers the riddle. Most of these will provide the player with some kind of reward such as a character trophy, or gameplay challenge.

S0 far after a little more than 5 hours of gameplay, I’ve completed 22% of the story content and just over 25% of the Riddler challenges. No part of the game has gotten stale so far, and it seems that there is going to be plenty to go back and hunt for after the story is over. At the moment, I would highly recommend this as a rental at the very least. As there is no multiplayer mode, I would suggest purchasing if you are the type of person that likes to go back and complete single player games to their full extent.