NEWS: EA’s Origin adds Third Party Publishers

EA have announced that their digital download gaming platform Origin will be offering titles from a number of other major publishers.

Beginning in November Origin will offer titles from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, THQ and Capcom Entertainment, Inc. Major titles such as Batman: Arkham City and Saints Row: The Third will be available through the download service next month.

These titles will be the first non EA titles available through the service and will join the growing number of titles available to gamers.

NEWS: Metal Gear Solid HD Collection Dated

Konami have announced the European release date for the eagerly awaited Metal Gear Solid HD Collection which updates Hideo Kojima’s sublime stealth sage to the world of HD. The game will be available to buy in-stores on the 3rd of February 2012.

Included on the disc are Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance, Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. The Subsistence edition of MGS3 also includes Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake.

VIDEO: Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception Launch Trailer

To call Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception a rip roaring, action packed, one liner filled spectacle would be perfectly acceptable based on the launch trailer which manages in under 2 and a half minutes to feature more thrills, spills and balls to the walls action than many Hollywood blockbusters.

VIDEO: Grand Theft Auto III 10-Year Anniversary

It sure does make you feel old to realise that GTA III is ten years old tomorrow. It feels like only yesterday that we were working our way up the crime ladder in Liberty Story. To celebrate the anniversary Rockstar have put together a rather cinematic trailer for the game which can be watched below.

REVIEW: FIFA 12

Developer: EA|Publisher: EA | Format: PS3

Reviewer: Craig Jay Gallagher EA’s FIFA series much like all top teams has over the years had it’s fair share of ups and downs. There have been times when it seemed that the series was dead in the water with little more than a graphical update and then there have been times when a slew of new features have been added. One thing is sure though, over the past number of years the series has gone from strength to strength where each aspect has been tailored to perfection.

The first thing that seasoned players will notice is that the defending system has been given a serious overhaul. Gone is the old style of holding down two buttons in order to have your players close down on the opposition and win the ball. There was absolutely no skill required to do this and has been a point of contention with gamers for a number of years. FIFA 12 redresses this with the new Tactical defending system. Defending players no longer rush in and try to win the ball but rather they can hold back till you the player decide is the opportune time to win the ball. By holding a player back rather than rush in and possibly miss the tackle you can no plan and if you do rush in and miss the ball you now have the option to engage in less than honorable tactics.

You can now pull on opposition players shirts or use your players arm to hold them back. It’s a small addition but it makes a world of difference as it not only heightens the realism aspects of the game but is also a lot of fun. Much like in the real world being caught pulling on a players shirt will results in a yellow card and if you continue to be caught a red card isn’t too far off.

The game also has a new impact engine with a physics engine that realistically simulates the impact between two player and rarely will the resulting animation be the same. It all depends on the players in question and their strength and build. It’s a small change but one which manages to capture the look and feel of the real thing.

The third noticeable addition to the game is a refined control system which allows for precision dribbling. This as you may expect allows you more control over the ball and is especially useful when playing close to the sideline. It also allows you to perform sharp turns and quick touches to control the ball. Most importantly of all, it also allows you to shield yourself when dribbling. All three additions on their own may seem like small changes but taken together they seriously up the realism level and create far more fluid gameplay, as well as making for far more satisfying gameplay.

FIFA 12 is by far the most packed entry in the franchise to date with all of last years modes retuning as well as a number of new modes. Career mode as expected lets you take a single player run through a 15 year career as a player manager, where you devise tactics, build your squad and compete alongside them. There’s also a slew of online modes. Playing against friends is now far more satisfying. In previous titles online friendlies were unranked and bar the fun of competing there was little incentive to play online. This year it’s all changed. Every person you play against creates a new season, made up of ten matches. The one who wins the most games and accumulates the most points receives a trophy once that season is over. Much like the changes to the main game it’s a small change but one which has a significant impact.

It doesn’t matter if you are a long term fan of the series, a complete newbie or even one of those select few who doesn’t even like the sport, you will find something to appreciate in Fifa 12. From the superb presentation, to the excellent graphics to the fantastic gameplay this is easily the finest entry in the series to date and the quintessential sporting title. Fifa 12 is the closest you will get to experiencing professional soccer from the comfort of your armchair.

NEWS: Batman: Arkham City PC release November 18

We found out last month that the Dark Knight’s adventures on PC would not be instores alongside it’s console counterparts. Today it was announced that it will be released for PC on November 11th and that the additional time will be spent fixing bugs.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Launches Batman: Arkham City
Become the Dark Knight in Rocksteady Studios’ Highly Anticipated and Critically Acclaimed Videogame Available Now in North America for Xbox 360 and PlayStation®3 system
London, UK – October 18, 2011 – The wait is finally over for fans to don the Batsuit again! Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment today announced that Batman: Arkham City™, the critically acclaimed and highly anticipated videogame developed by Rocksteady Studios, will be available from October 21 at retailers in the UK for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system. The Games for Windows version will be available beginning November 18, 2011.

Batman: Arkham City builds upon the intense, atmospheric foundation of Batman: Arkham Asylum, sending players flying through the expansive Arkham City – five times larger than the game world in Batman: Arkham Asylum – the new maximum security “home” for all of Gotham City’s thugs, gangsters and insane criminal masterminds. Featuring an incredible Rogues Gallery of Gotham City’s most dangerous criminals including Catwoman, The Joker, The Riddler, Two-Face, Harley Quinn, The Penguin, Mr. Freeze and many others, the game allows players to genuinely experience what it feels like to be The Dark Knight delivering justice on the streets of Gotham City.

“Batman: Arkham City builds upon the critical and commercial success of Batman: Arkham Asylum and firmly solidifies the Arkham brand as a triple-A action adventure franchise,” said Martin Tremblay, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “Rocksteady has developed a game that includes all the makings of a blockbuster – immersive story, memorable characters and outstanding gameplay, and we are very proud to bring the game to players around the world.”
“Getting to work in the Batman universe again has been a privilege for us at Rocksteady Studios. We have worked tirelessly to take Batman from the Asylum into the heart of Gotham City and to deliver the game The Dark Knight deserves,” said Sefton Hill, Game Director at Rocksteady Studios. “The response so far has been phenomenal and we can’t wait for everyone to experience becoming The Batman swooping through the streets of Gotham.”

Set inside the heavily fortified walls of a sprawling district in the heart of Gotham City, Batman: Arkham City introduces a brand-new story that draws together a new, all-star cast of classic characters and murderous villains from the Batman universe, as well as a vast range of new and enhanced gameplay.

The game was written in collaboration with Paul Dini, Batman author and five-time Emmy Award winner whose credits include Lost season one and Batman: The Animated Series, and features the incredible voice talent of Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy. Both reprise their roles as The Joker and Batman respectively. Stana Katic of the popular series Castle joins the cast as the voice of Talia al Ghul.

Fans looking for the ultimate Batman: Arkham City package can purchase the Batman: Arkham City Collector’s Edition, which includes extensive bonus content, including a custom Batman statue produced by Kotobukiya, a collectible art book, early access to the Iceberg Lounge Challenge Map and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns skin, Batman: Arkham City – The Album featuring original music by top artists and a bonus DC Universe animated original movie, Batman: Gotham Knight.

Two official versions of a strategy guide for Batman: Arkham City will be offered by BradyGames – a Signature Series and a Limited Edition. In addition, an iOS Map App for locating collectibles and a series of official strategy videos will be available through Brady’s iOS Strategy Feed app and through the Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for Xbox 360.

Players can also look forward to the Nightwing Bundle Pack on Nov. 1 and the Robin Bundle Pack scheduled for release on Nov. 22. The downloadable content will be available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 560 Microsoft Points and PlayStation®Network for £5.49.

Batman: Arkham City is based on DC Comics’ core Batman license and rated “BBFC 15″. Fans can visit www.batmanarkhamcity.com for more information about the game.

# # #

About DC Entertainment
DC Entertainment, home to iconic brands DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash, etc.), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables, etc.) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating across Warner Bros. and Time Warner. DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment, and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world.

About Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, is a premier worldwide publisher, developer, licensor and distributor of entertainment content for the interactive space across all current and future platforms, including console, handheld and PC-based gaming for both internal and third party game titles.

About Rocksteady Studios Ltd
Rocksteady Studios is a multi-award winning videogame developer based in London, England. Located in a spacious, purpose built converted factory, with full motion capture and audio studio capabilities, Rocksteady is an energetic company formed by a core team of senior industry professionals. This creates an ideal balance of drive, talent, proven methods, experience and cutting edge technology to make AAA games. Now employing over 90 people, Rocksteady’s mission is to be a highly professional, efficient company whose purpose is to make great games, and have happy and healthy team members. This philosophy is the heart and soul of the company. Rocksteady received the coveted ’studio of the year’ award at the 2009 VGA awards.

BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY software © 2011 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Developed by Rocksteady Studios Ltd. ” ” , “PlayStation”, “PS3″,
” “, and ” ” are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Windows, the Windows Start button, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies, and “Games for Windows” and the Windows Start button logo are used under license from Microsoft. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

DC LOGO, BATMAN and all characters, their distinctive likenesses, and related elements are trademarks of DC Comics © 2011. All Rights Reserved.
WB GAMES LOGO, WB SHIELD: ™ & © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
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NEWS: The Old Republic Release Change

Generally when we hear the words release date change in relation to a major title we instantly fear the worst. Thankfully this is one release date which will work in our favor allowing gamers to get their hands on The Old Republic on December 20th, just in time for Christmas.

REVIEW: Men of War: Vietnam

Developer / Publisher: 1C | Format: PC

Reviewer: Craig Jay Gallagher Much like Medal of Honor and Call of Duty before it the Men of War franchiseis branching out into different conflicts. The latest entry in the series moves away from the WWII setting of previous entries in favor of the Vietnam War.

The game offers two campaigns, one from either side of the infamous conflict. In the first you control a team comprised of two Vietnamese soldiers and two Soviet military advisers who survived an assault by American forces. With no way out of enemy territory you must navigate the unfriendly jungles, taking on any American forces that they stumble upon. It’s a long, difficult campaign which alone would make the Men of War: Vietnam a must own for fans of the series but the inclusion of a second campaign is the icing on the cake. The second campaign allows players to control a group of special-ops who spend most of the time alone in the wilds helping the war effort.

MoW:V is not an easy game and no matter which difficulty you sect to play things are never a walk in the park. You spent most of the time outnumbered and with the smallest mistake resulting in your team being wiped out this is on title which will appeal more to the seasoned RTS gamer than to casual fans. Simple things such as failing to find adequate cover or engaging a larger enemy force will result in death. It’s refreshing to find a title which doesn’t insist on holding the players hand but rather drops them into the deep end and lets them figure out what to do. Newcomers to the genre will find themselves in above their heads, as even on the lowest difficulty the game is far from easy.

There are no tutorials nor are the first few levels an easy introduction to the game and as such it’s fair to say that Men of War: Vietnam is a game for a niche audience. It’s easily the most difficult title released in a long time but for hard’ened RTS fans the game offers a truly exhilarating experience with two great campaigns. Newcomers be warned,this is not  a title that you can pick up and play.

NEWS: Apple Founder Steve Jobs Passes Away

Apple CEO and founder Steve Jobs sadly passed away today and while the Mac long ago abandoned any claims to be a gaming maching its hard not to recognise just what an impact the iPhone, iPod and iPad made upon handheld gaming.

Jobs was a true visionary whose innovations changed the face of technology and will have a profound and lasting impact

REVIEW: Driver: San Francisco

Developer / Publisher: Ubisoft | Format: PS3, 360

Reviewer: Craig Jay Gallagher The Driver franchise makes it’s long awaited debut on the next gen consoles with Driver: San Francisco. Featuring the return of Jack Tanner it is a direct sequel to 2004’s Driv3r. Conceptually the game is quite a departure from the previous entry in the series. Gone is the ability to exit your vehicle replaced with a decidedly science fiction concept where our hero can fly above the streets and jump into any car he chooses. But before we discuss that lets first get through a quick paragraph on the plot.

Picking up after the events of Driv3r, Jack Tanner finds himself in pursuit of his nemesis Charles Jericho who at the onset of the game makes a daring escape during a prison transport. Tanner quick to react finds himself in pursuit of the escaped felon. What appears initially to be a another cops and robbers tale is given a rather unique angle by the ability of Tanner to “Shift” which is a rather odd but superb gameplay element where in Tanner can jump from vehicle to vehicle and travel across the city from a birds eye vantage point. This unique trick brilliantly replaces the need for on foot moments as well as opening up a whole slew of possibilities.

Shifting as you may imagine is both the games strongest and weakest aspect. It creates some truly memorable moments and allows the gamer to create a different experience each time. Rather than chase down a suspect vehicle and repeated ram it till it stops, gamers can now jump ahead into oncoming traffic and create road blocks or simply use a truck to smash head first into the oncoming vehicle. It’s also the most convenient and fastest way to switch vehicles ever seen in a game. Wheelman had a similar approach but lacked the ease and fluidity found in Driver: SF. It’s a truly brilliant device which gives the games many pursuits a truly original spin.

The games biggest weakness is that it lacks a true sense of purpose when it comes to forwarding the narrative.  One minute you find yourself barreling through the streets of San Francisco in pursuit of Jericho and the next you’re joy riding round the city competing in illegal street races with your wise cracking teenage passenger. That there’s no real urgency to the main plot means that it’s quite easy to simply spend hours driving around the city jumping from one car to the next ignoring the hunt for Jericho and completing the dozens of side missions on offer.

As with all releases worth your hard earned cash Driver: SF offers multiplayer gaming. There are a number of multiplayer modes on offer. Upon first entering the multiplayer section gamers are offered only two modes to choose from. Addition modes can be unlocked and while some may find it an irritation that all modes aren’t instantly available the unlocking aspect of it will bring gamers back time after time until they have unlocked everything.

Overall Driver: San Francisco is one of the most entertaining entries int eh franchise as well as one of the most interesting and enjoyable titles this year. While it can be a little odd to get to grasps with once shifting has been mastered it’s a highly addictive and unique title. And lets be honest, there are few things as thrilling as racing through the streets of San Francisco weaving in and out of oncoming traffic.

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