Bit of a slow week so far, but here’s what we got:
Gearbox revealed plans for a new DLC character in Borderlands 2 at SXSW over the weekend. According to their video reveal, “Deep beneath Pandora, an experiment has escaped. Bandits beware. A new Vault Hunter is coming. More mayhem awaits.” Very little was shown beyond that cryptic message. Look forward to more information soon.
In the midst of all the other comings and goings at LucasFilm, including the apparent cancellations of The Clone Wars and Star Wars 1313, we’re now hearing that Star Wars: First Assault is also on an indefinite hold. We first heard this existed back in October, but no details were readily available. It’s now resurfaced with slightly more specific data. This is purportedly a downloadable multiplayer first person shooter for XBLA and possibly PSN. Reports suggest it will handle 16 players (8 vs. 8) and feature iconic locations from the galaxy far, far away. The game was apparently on the calendar for release this Spring after a closed beta back in September. The beta never happened, and the release hasn’t been discussed since. In light of other pieces of the franchise getting axed, it’s likely this may never be released. Then again, it could be far enough along that it will get released immediately so Disney and LucasFilm can generate a few sales before completely shutting down the franchise in the lead up to Episode VII. [Yes, my theory is that all extraneous projects will be shut down so everyone will be excited about the movie being the first Star Wars event in over two years! Just my crackpot idea, Swank-mo-tron probably has more insight.]
Here’s an interesting addition. Ubisoft is releasing a new playable character and an online multiplayer mode for the three year old downloadable Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Being stuck with only couch co-op was definitely a limitation in the early release, and many fans were shouting for the change. But is anyone even interested now? This game sat, unplayed, on my hard drive for years until I just recently deleted it to clear some space. Online mode and playable Wallace Wells ($4.99, 20% discount for PS+) aren’t really enough for me to warrant trying the game again.
Time for another editorial rant. Sony has announced they are patching a trophy title for God of War: Ascension. The game, released today, includes a trophy currently labeled “Bros before Hoes.” The title has apparently offended a vocal contingent of fans that see it as sexist. Is it a stupid and chauvinistic saying? Yes. Is a game about a shirtless Spartan with blades on his arms ripping mythological creatures to shreds and having threesomes really obligated to be politically correct? Sorry, but no. The game is clearly marketed and designed to male gamers, which also may or may not be the “right” thing to do. But sweet bros play games like this, and sweet bros say things like that. The new title for the trophy will be “Bros before Foes.” It is still earned in the same way, by crushing the head of a female character with Kratos’ foot. Apparently it’s just the name that’s offensive, not the violence against women. Surely I’m not the only one that thinks this is ridiculous. Is this really the kind patching Sony should be doing? Especially when there are plenty of glitched trophies on the system. By the way, these trophies are fake “collectibles” that don’t only actually exist and many of them aren’t even essential to completing the game; they’re just fun add-ons for completionists.