Gamesugar

August 17, 2010

Mass Effect 2 Heading to PS3 in 2011

Filed under: News Feed — Tags: , , , , , , , — Brad Johnson @ 4:24 pm


Today came the announcement from Bioware and EA that Mass Effect 2 will be heading to PS3s come 2011–while the original game will remain an Xbox exclusive. Microsoft was quick to assert that the only way to experience the “full” Mass Effect universe remains safely on their console, carefully ignoring the quickly forgotten Mass Effect Galaxy for the iPhone.

While this is tremendous news for Playstation 3 owners, current fans of the series can be forgiven for groaning collectively with the knowledge that bullshit exclusive content wars for ME2 and the inevitable sequel are almost certainly imminent.

July 12, 2010

Review – Transformers: War for Cybertron


My familiarity with High Moon Studios is only through my unpleasant collision with the demo for their previous effort, The Bourne Conspiracy. With that product failing to resonate with me in any way despite my almost physical yearning for a Bourne game (later satisfied by Splinter Cell: Conviction), the discovery that these were the minds behind War for Cybertron was somewhat ominous.

It was encouraging to hear them speak on that game; it filled me with confidence and finally made the reality of the product that much more bitter. If you’ve followed the material released for War for Cybertron, then you may have experienced a similar swell of confidence: they speak as fans, and as you fire up the disc (or immaterial Steam delivery, as the case may be) there is no doubt as to their honesty. To my infinite relief, this release has been calibrated with great care for the Transformers follower, much in the way Arkham Asylum was a love letter to Batman adherents. While War for Cybertron does not quite reach the heights of the latter effort, it represents the game Transfans have long deserved.

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June 26, 2010

Review – Alpha Protocol

Filed under: Reviews — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , — Brad Johnson @ 9:04 am


With Alpha Protocol, Obsidian Entertainment has opted to take a break from their usual routine of producing sequels to established high-profile franchises in the hopes of establishing a lucrative IP all their own. Despite drawing quick comparisons to Bioware’s Mass Effect, Alpha Protocol is clearly it’s own game, though this is as often to its detriment as it is to its credit.

You control Michael Thorton, agent of the eponymous Alpha Protocol, who quickly becomes embroiled in an international mystery that’s equal parts deep and deeply confusing. You’ll be required to employ stealth and brute force to complete your missions, while, more uniquely, using your wit to navigate the conspiracy in which you’re entwined. The game offers a number of intriguing innovations designed to immerse players in the espionage experience, and many of these are admirable attempts—but a critical lack of development and numerous design flaws leave the experience awkward and unsatisfying.

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June 18, 2010

Review – Mass Effect 2 “Overlord” DLC

Filed under: Reviews — Tags: , , , , , , , , — Brad Johnson @ 3:31 am


Latest in the ongoing series of DLC releases for Mass Effect 2 is the Overlord add-on, which has Commander Shepard battling a rogue Virtual Intelligence. Bioware has again approached their downloadable content with an eye to quality, including an excellent new soundtrack and some great visuals—but this package seems to have also been designed to test new designs for planet exploration following the demise of the Mako and the revision of galaxy exploration in Mass Effect 2.

Each DLC pack has offered a gameplay experience unique from the retail release, if often a brief one—the Stolen Memory DLC presented a sharply designed adventure mission, with Sherpard infiltrating the home of a prominent crime boss, and the Firewalker pack introduced Hammerhead vehicle sequences. Overlord provides a much less combat-intense experience, focusing on the reintroduction of vehicle exploration and the delivery of the dark science-fiction elements that have helped make the Mass Effect universe distinct.

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June 15, 2010

The Brave New World of PlayStation Plus

Filed under: Editorial Rants — Tags: , , , , , — Brad Johnson @ 7:07 pm


Announced during Sony’s presentation at E3 today was the incoming Playstation Plus subscription service. With the continued success of Xbox Live, plans from Activision to implement a subscription model within the Call of Duty franchise, and this latest announcement from Sony, the subscription model is quickly becoming ubiquitous within the game industry. Sony’s announcement was no surprise, having been the stuff of rumour for months, and a total inevitability, considering certain realities. If you imagine a great, serpentine creature twisting, wringing it’s hands and salivating uncontrollably, you probably have a fair understanding of how Sony has observed Microsoft’s Xbox Live Gold service for the past several years, and know that this day always existed somewhere in the imminent future.

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June 14, 2010

Dead Space 2: Electric Boogaloo

Filed under: News Feed — Tags: , , , , , , , — Brad Johnson @ 7:12 pm


Footage from EA’s press conference is presently being dispersed throughout the internets, and one of the items to filter out is the impending Dead Space 2. What’s obvious is that Visceral would actually like you to use some of your weapons this time around; whereas in the original game your plasma cutter was the only weapon you ever needed—and often the most efficient, too boot—this footage emphasizes the efficacy of some of your other options. The largely combat-ineffective kinesis module from the first game has been revamped; we can see the player sever a bladed enemy limb with the plasma cutter, snatch it up with kinesis and launch it back for an instant kill, quickly and efficiently.

The demo begins with Isaac in a decorative church, a far cry from the strictly function halls and chambers of the Ishimura, and goes on to feature a fantastic view of the Sprawl, the massive space-based city in which the game takes place. If you had your fill of cramped corridors in the original, Dead Space 2 looks to offer superior variety with the same exceptional design. See for yourself after the break.

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June 12, 2010

Review – Lost Planet 2

Filed under: Reviews — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — Brad Johnson @ 6:16 pm


Whether you’re a fan from Lost Planet: Extreme Condition or a new player drawn in by videos of clashing mechs and monsters, response to Lost Planet 2 probably has left you hesitant to render any sort of purchasing decision. I am here to offer you some relief: I can tell you that the calculation can be refined to one variable. That is, precisely how much suffering are you prepared to endure for tremendous action?

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