It’s the last edition of VGQH for August and it’s not exactly chock full of goodies. Which is a little weird considering PAX took place over the weekend. Oh, well. On to the news.
Some of you may be surprised to know that Harmonix is still putting out weekly DLC tracks for Rock Band 3. While the music genre has basically died, the hardcore fans are apparently still picking up new tracks. I see the release list every week but tend to ignore it in VGQH. But today’s tracks are good news for me. Considering I do actually still pick up my fake plastic Fender a couple of times a month, I’ll actually be picking up all eight of these tracks from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Five classic songs are included, as well as three from the new album, I’m With You (in stores now). Individual tracks are $1.99 each, or you can get the whole package for $13.49 (or equivalent points, as usual). Two of the older tracks, “Californication” and “Otherside,” feature upgrades to Pro Guitar and Bass mode for $0.99 each. The remaining classic tracks are “By the Way,” “Parallel Universe,” and “Scar Tissue.” The three songs from the new album are “Look Around,” “Monarchy of Roses,” and “The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie.”
Did you like Portal? Of course you did. If you didn’t, you’re wrong! Anyway, we all know Valve is amazing and they did a great job expanding on the Portal concept with the recent sequel. But did you know that one of the co-creators of the original game, Kim Swift, has been working with Airtight Games on a first person puzzle game set for publication by Square Enix early next year on PSN, XBLA, and PC. Quantum Conundrum has the player trying to rescue your scientist uncle who is trapped in another dimension. The player has a few of the uncle’s inventions to help shift through parallel dimensions, seemingly at will, to solve puzzles. For example, shifting into a “fluffy” dimension makes objects lighter, allowing them to be thrown, then shifted back into the normal dimension where that lighter than air box suddenly becomes a heavy safe, smashing through the pane of glass that was blocking your path. Make sense? Probably not, but try explaining Portal to someone who hasn’t played it. Check out these two screens, which appear to be the same scene in two different dimensions.
For everyone that’s digustingly enthralled with Mass Effect (like me), Bioware and Dark Horse have a nice treat upcoming. The Art of the Mass Effect Universe will be out in February, with an MSRP of $39.99. This hardcover tome will highlight the unique art and glorious detail that we’ll find in Mass Effect 3 on March 6, 2012. While I’m at it, how about I confuse you with a few more dates. A collection of the Mass Effect: Evolution comic series will be available September 21st, and the new series, Mass Effect: Invasion, begins October 19th. Best get to your comic shop and add these to your pull list.
There wasn’t much in the way of new information about two of my most watched games at PAX, but a few new screens did make an appearance. Check out this shot of Juggernaut and Adrian, one of three playable characters as potential X-Men, in X-Men Destiny. Dig the matching outfits. It’s like Marko got a Mini-Me.
The other game getting some new screen shots, of course, is Spider-Man: Edge of Time, Activision and Beenox’s follow up to the fantastic Shattered Dimensions. Let’s stick with the theme of oversized villainous type dudes and give you this shot of Eddie Brock as Anti-Venom, getting ready for some ultraviolence on our amazing superhero.
And… Well, two screens and no news is a weird place to end. But, frankly, I don’t have any more and nothing is connected enough to go back and edit the order of the stories. Check back on Friday and hopefully we’ll have a bit bigger news day. I’m starting wonder if things are slowing down in the news department because so many huge games are getting set for the October-November rush and there isn’t really anything new to say about them until they release. In the mean time, I’m getting close to my Insanity end run on Mass Effect 2. Depending on how bad I suck at it, I could be finishing that up this week, leading to a little clean up for my Platinum trophy and starting “The Arrival.” Wish me luck.