Not a lot for the early edition this week, but basically every item is about a strong game or franchise. Read on:
The fan backlash against the ending of Mass Effect 3 led to the announcement last week of the Extended Cut coming this summer via free DLC. Apparently this change is not the only thing Bioware has been working on however. While it’s certainly taking some of their time, they are still in production of the DLC they were already planning berefore the release. I do wonder if they had intended to make this free though, or if that’s a response to regain some goodwill. Regardless, the Resurgence Map Pack will be available for free today. This pack includes the leaked additional characters we saw a few weeks ago, as well as maps, weapons, and consumables. The new maps are Firebase Condor (an outpost on a Palaven moon), and Firebase Hydra (an abandoned Quarian colony converted to a power plant). It’s doubtful these will have single-player versions like the original maps, but you never know with Bioware. The new unlockable characters are the Asari Justicar Adept, Krogan Battlemaster Vanguard, Batarian Sentinel, Batarian Soldier, Geth Engineer, and Geth Infiltrator. New weapons to unlock include the Striker Assault Rifle, Kishock Harpoon Gun, and Geth Plasma SMG. The four new single-use equipment boosts are the Strength Enhancer (melee), Targeting VI (headhsots), Stabilization module (firing and movement accuracy), and Shield Power Cells (cuts shield regeneration delay). Considering a melee’d a Geth Prime to Death on Sunday with my Krogan Soldier, I can’t wait to see how mean I can get with a Battlemaster. [There’s also an update to the game available today. This fixes some major glitches, particularly face importing and a few game breaking crashes.]
Can it really be? Two stories about free DLC in a row? Yes, it can. Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City is getting its own batch of free add-on this week as well. The first of seven missions to come has the Spec Ops team looking for evidence of Umbrella’s involvement in the outbreak. The remaining six missions, all telling the campaign’s story from the perspectives of Dee-Ay, Harley, Party Girl, Shona, Tweed, and Willow, will be paid add-ons. Four multiplayer maps are also planned for the near future. You can get this first chapter for free, starting today.
Borderlands 2 was already near the top of my list for next quarter’s preorder breakdown. Now they’ve announced a new bonus for ordering the game, the Mechromancer playable class. The Mechromancer is part human, part machine and controls a giant robot, D374-TP (known as Deathtrap). If you don’t preorder you’ll still be able to get the extra class via paid DLC. Additionally, Gearbox has confirmed you’ll be able to customize the look of whatever class you choose with unlockalbe wardrobes and the ability to swap heads. Additional heads and skins will be unlockable for those who’ve played the first game. Finally, a special edition of the game has been announced. This will include a bobblehead, the game, and other goodies packed into a real-life version of the in-game loot boxes. No word yet on the other extras, but they better be pretty extensive for the $150 price point. Both versions will be available on September 18th.
Last year saw the release of plenty of shooters, some good and some bad. But one of the most unique was Bulletstorm. People Can Fly and Epic Games moved outside the typical shooter tropes for this one and it became a funny, raunchy, title that filled a big hole in the gaming industry. People Can Fly have done some “initial developments” on Bulletstorm 2 but it has since been shelved for now. Despite its popularity with a segment of the gaming audience, it only counts as “good, but not amazing” on the sales front according Mike Capps (President, Epic Games). So what will People Can Fly be working on now? According to Capps, “we haven’t announced that yet, but we will be announcing it pretty soon.” It depends how far along development has come, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see an announcement at E3 this June.
Epic Games certainly seems to be concentrating on their titles. Not only are they shifting People Can Fly’s next game, they’re also cancelling the Kinect spin-off of the Gears of War franchise. According to Cliffy B, “Gears of War: Exile was an unannounced game that I can’t give any details about that has since been cancelled.”
While it a little painful to see a new game in a top franchise get benched, the trepidation most fans feel about Kinect moving its way into “hardcore” titles offsets this a lot. The lackluster response to Kinect and Move is an important factor for console manufacturers to consider as they move into the next generation. Microsoft has already confirmed that an improved Kinect will be standard fare for the next XBox, which they still haven’t actually said is coming. Is motion gaming the actual way of the future, and our current gaming culture is simply suffering growing pains? Or is it a silly add-on like racing wheels or plastic instruments – fun for a lark, but not a necessary part of the gaming as a whole? For gamers of my generation, I think we’re just coming to the realization that the holodeck isn’t happening in our lifetimes. On the one hand, if it’s not happening for us, we’re getting old and cantankerous enough to want to stick with what’s comfortable. On the other hand, every step closer we get still holds a little of that excitement. And it’s clear that Kinect, Move, Wii Motion Plus, 3D TVs, and 7.1 surround sound are actually getting us closer to that completely immersive game. The question is, how will they notify you of your latest achievements without breaking that immersion?
That’s all for today, check back Friday when we’ll have more details on the Lost Planet 3 announcement happening today.