There’s been quite a bit of buzz for I Am Alive from Ubisoft. The game was announced ages ago and disappeared for a while, leading many to believe it had been canceled. After the long wait, it was released on XBLA earlier this month, leading PS3 owners to wonder when they’d get their chance. Ubisoft has announced it will be coming to PSN on April 3, 2012. PS Plus subscribers will get a 20% discount for the first two weeks of release on PSN. This game is a slightly different take on the “survival horror” genre as it doesn’t feature zombies or monsters. Well, maybe monsters, but only in that the other survivors have become monstrous in the post-apocalyptic world. The XBLA release currently has an “average” score (in the 70s out of 100) on Metacritic. GameSpot and Eurogamer both seemed to have enjoyed the title, giving it an 8 out of 10. IGN seemingly had a different experience, rating it only 4.5 out of 10.
Another PSN title recently given a release date is Wheels of Destruction: World Tour. This one’s coming next week on Tuesday, March 27th. If you’re not sure what this is and want to know if it’s for you, think of it like Twisted Metal without all the seriously twisted violence. Basically, if you love car combat and over the top destructiveness, but get nightmares from Sweet Tooth and Dollface, grab this title. Also, it’s only $10, so it’s probably worth the risk if you’ve never played a car combat title.
The first episode in Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead is also coming to PSN, XBLA, PC, and Mac next month for just $4.99. This first episode is planned for “late April” and features a separate cast from the TV and comic series. Robert Kirkman is involved in the game version, but you won’t be helping Rick Grimes’ group survive. Instead you’ll be handling an entirely different group of survivors in similar circumstances after the zombocalypse. The remaining four episodes are expected to release monthly through August at $4.99 each. A “Season Pass” is available for PC and Mac from Telltale’s online store. That’ll get you the entire series for $22.49, a savings of $2.46. Buying the Season Pass also enters you into a contest to have your likeness appear in episode 4 as a killable character. Zombietron’s got the trailer.
A couple of idiot Representatives in the House are trying to get legislate gaming again. It didn’t work for California, and this is nowhere near as far-reaching or stupid, but it shouldn’t work again. Tricuit of Doom brings you the full story about a bill that would regulate what the ESRB already does incredibly well. Keep an eye on Big Shiny Robot! for more information. If this gets any bigger or becomes cause for concern we’ll have it well-covered.
Then again, if the US government gets a little overzealous regulating video games, we could always move to the UK. Chancellor George Osborne revealed the 2012 budget on Wednesday, including plans to provide tax relief to their local game developers. This is good news for the UK’s local gaming scene, which will translate to good news for all of us. Fewer taxes mean lower development costs. On the other hand, they’re raising the price of a pint of beer by 10p. Maybe I’ll hold off emigrating.
And now for the first of what will surely be too much of me talking about Mass Effect 3…. Sort of kidding, actually. Square Enix has announced a pair of downloadable costumes for Final Fantasy XIII-2‘s Noel and Serah based on Bioware’s recently ended trilogy. Does anyone even care? Both games are good, but is this really the DLC people want from Square Enix? Of course not, they want story-based stuff. But at least it’s N7 armor, not some kind of sexy Asari garb like the bikinis they released earlier.
When Epic Mickey was announced I had extremely high hopes. Bringing back Oswald, Warren Spector developing, restoring Mickey’s mischievous personality? All good things in my book. Unfortunately, this Wii-exclusive fell a little short. It was still a good game, but not the great game I was hoping they’d deliver. But it looks like Spector is taking another shot with Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two. This next attempt will have full voice acting, even making it a musical in the best Disney tradition. As the title suggests, there will be two playable characters. Mickey with his paintbrush and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit will be traveling together in drop-in/out co-op through the Cartoon Wasteland, a home for forgotten characters and theme park rides. In single-player you’ll only be controlling Mickey, but Oswald will be tagging along as a helper character. And, yes, they’re fixing the camera! Though no date or further details are available, what has piqued my interest the most is that this sequel will be multi-platform, coming to PS3, 360, and Wii. More curious, why hasn’t it been announced for WiiU.
Ubisoft has revealed at least two pre-order incentives for Far Cry 3, coming in September. North American pre-orders will get the Monkey Business Pack, four single player missions “hosted by Hurk and his bomb-carrying monkeys” with “two bonus ways to humiliate your friends” in the multiplayer mode. UK buyers will get a free upgrade to the The Lost Expeditions Edition featuring two bonus missions, The Forgotten Experiment and Ignition in the Deep. It’s probably safe to say both additions will probably be crossing the Atlantic as paid DLC soon after release.
You didn’t really think you were going to get away with DLC costumes in a different game as your only piece of Mass Effect 3 news did you? It saddens me to report that Bioware has let the bullying get to them and will be providing additional content to appease those who hated the ending. While it doesn’t appear that they have any intention of actually changing the ending, Casey Hudson (Executive Producer) and his team are “hard at work on a number of game content initiatives that will help answer the questions, providing more clarity for those seeking further closure to their journey,” says Ray Muzyka (Bioware co-founder). On the one hand, it’s reassuring that a business is listening to, and taking to heart, the feedback of their fans. On the other hand, I’ve long held the belief that video games are an art form just as much as film, music, or novels. You know what we call musicians who alter their sound for mainstream acceptance? Sellouts! Is Bioware really ready to sell out to make angry internet people happy? Bioshock‘s creator, Ken Levine, has thrust his opinion on the matter into the public eye. Normally this guy irritates me with his presence on things that don’t concern him, but he’s got the right idea. He’s called this “an important moment” for the industry and believes fans will be disappointed if the ending is changed. In all fairness, what may or may not be changed, and what it will become is still unknown. If Bioware only looks to provide more clarity about threads left open, (for instance, what are the consequences for curing or not curing the genophage, what actually comes from combined DNA, etc.) then maybe it’s not so bad. But if they actually change the Shepard’s fate, or the ultimate fate of the galaxy just to make whining gamers feel like they’ve “won” then they’re committing as serious a mistake as Greedo shooting first.
Beta for World of Warcraft: The Mists of Pandaria is starting. Triscuit of Doom has details. Sounds like it may be the shot in the arm he needs to get playing again. Will it be enough for Blizzard to retain subscriptions and save their sagging numbers?
Suda 51 and Grasshopper Manufacture are lookgin to make more dick innuendos, and EA is seemingly supportive. A Shadows of the Damned sequel was seemingly confirmed by, of all people, the composer, Akira Yamaoka. At the London launch of Sine Mora for XBLA, Yamaoka mentioned the sequel, then cut himself short with “I can’t tell you here, but clearly I’d like to.” When asked if EA would be involved again through the EA Partners program, his response was “probably, well yes.” EA Partners is a good way for non-blockbusters to get released, but they tend to not get much advertising support. That’s probably why the first game is considered one of the most underrated titles of 2011 and didn’t do particularly well at retail.
I mentioned the possibility of Little Big Karting in VGQH some time ago based on a rumor. Sony has now confirmed the game is underway, but is not being produced by the franchise’s creators, Media Molecule. Instead, development is being done at United Front Games, whom you’ll recognize as the creators of ModNation Racers. I guess that sort of answers my question about why the game was even being made when Sony already had a successful play. create. share. karting game where you can play as Sackboy. I loved ModNation Racers and was hoping to see more of it in the future. Unfortunately, it would seem that series is probably being shelved in favor of this one, likely because of Sackboy’s name recognition.
Anarchy Reigns is coming from SEGA on July 3rd. But we already knew that. What we know now is that Bayonetta, the world’s hairiest witch, will be a playable character with your pre-order. Further, more information has come about the multiplayer modes. There will be eleven of them, including the standard Death Match and Survival modes. Modes will generally feature two, four, or eight players. Online arena melee combat will allow up to 16.
Leave it to Rockstar to take gangs from the streets and into our game consoles. A new feature for Max Payne 3 (May 15th)is “Gang Wars,” a multiplayer mode that will see you forming “crews” online for matches. These will be persistent groups of players, small or large, that you’ll join and will eventually form alliances or feuds with other crews. Think of it like e-Bloods and e-Crips. Through the use of Rockstar’s Social Club, that analogy is even more apt. Because you’re not just forming a friend group for one match, it’s fuh life Yo. Your crew will be persistent each time you enter multiplayer, in ALL Rockstar games. So if you join the Sharks in Max Payne 3, you better watch for the Jets when you jump into Grand Theft Auto V (supposedly later this year). It’s an interesting concept that I think fans have sort of done on their own over the years, but Rockstar’s now officially integrating it for all future titles.
I don’t know if this goes for everyone, but drinking and video games are sort of companion hobbies for me. Having a couple beers and starting a plastic instrument band rum-fueled rounds of Buzz Quiz were my version of going to the club for a long time. Not that I’m a shut-in. I had friends over, I just don’t like going to clubs. Despite these connected hobbies, I just don’t understand the need to make interactive versions of traditional bar games. You know what I mean. Virtual pool? A darts video game? It’s just silly. Which is why I very likely won’t be downloading Foosball 2012 when it release on PSN this spring. Grip Games is developing, and it will have cross play between your PS3 (Move enabled) and Vita. Having the Move controls and touch screen seems like it will actually be playable, something I think would be incredibly difficult with a Dualshock, though that will also work. Considering my disdain for the game in a physical setting, I really don’t see the point. But hey, there’s clearly got to be some market for it. Right? Two on two co-op competitive multiplayer has to be a niche that needs to filled.
Am I really going to end this one on virtual foosball? You bet I am. See you next Tuesday.