This week’s wallet threat level is pretty relaxed. The array of threats includes an Alan Wake game on Xbox Live Arcade, the new Syndicate shooter from EA, some kind of interactive anime thing from Capcom called Asura’s Wrath, and a Metal Gear Solid for the Nintendo DS. Also, Sony wants you to buy another PSP.
But if you’re up for an indie fantasy game, I heartily recommend Conquest of Elysium 3.
2K Games announces an expansion for Civilization V that sells you more than just a few new factions. Those are there too, but the notable additions in Gods & Kings are new systems for religion and espionage. Both of these were conspicuously absent in Civilization V. One of them I really missed.
The new religion system will feature upgradeable bonuses as your religion progresses. It looks like yet another tech tree, which is the last thing Civilization V needs. Hopefully, the Civilization IV model of religion as an out-of-control viral effect will remain intact.
Then there’s espionage, which was a terrible addition to Civilization IV for how it felt like it was built by someone who didn’t understand what made Civilization IV great. But since not understanding what made Civilization IV great seems to be a core value of Civlization V, an espionage system probably isn’t going to detract from Civilization V very much.
But what makes me cautiously optimistic about the new espionage is the basic model of placing spies around the map to perform specific tasks. I’ve been playing a lot of Crusader Kings II recently, where your council members are tokens you can put on the board for special effects. For instance, your steward can increase tax income, speed construction, or boost technology in a province. Creative Assembly’s games have used a similar system with agents. These units are dropped around the board, independent of marching armies. There’s a very boardgame feel to this concept: I put this piece here and it has this effect. My hope is that the upcoming espionage system in Civilization V feels similar.
Gods & Kings will be released in “late spring”.
When I first discovered Minecraft, it was still pretty early on. Survival mode had been added but there weren’t a ton of monsters in the game yet. It resembled what the game has become, but it wasn’t nearly as advanced. I played around with it a bit and fell in love.
Whenever I find a game I love, one of the first things I do is introduce it to my wife Sarah. I love watching people play games. Watching someone play, the concentration on the action and the elation at success, is like a drug to me. However, before I introduce a game to Sarah, I go through my checklist of things that she likes. If I don’t, I end up with two copies of the same game sitting on my shelf.
After the jump, she likes it! Continue reading →
The screenshots for King’s Empire, a free-to-play social boondoggle for the iPhone from the creator of Island Empire and Galaxy Empire, feature women who look all coy about the suggestive text. Who me? What, these? You’re not fooling anyone, ladies. Furthermore, the iTune Stores recommends King’s Empire isn’t appropriate for anyone under 12 because of its infrequent/mild nudity, sexual content, and suggestive themes.
Every time I get into the groove of Kingdoms of Amalur, something shoves a stick in my spokes. Just wandering through the world and discovering new locations is a thrill. The game is littered with enemies to encounter and places to explore. The combat is exciting. All of these things go into making a successful game, but something isn’t right.
What’s missing, after the jump Continue reading →
After a strong opening and then a long lull, Anno 2070 finally gets some cool new online content today. When the game launched, it had a really neat voting gimmick for global bonuses, a friends list, achievements, and the promise of free scenarios called world events. The first world event was about fighting pirates. The pirates got beat, the world event ended, and it was time for the second world event. The second world event was…uh…dilatory. For months, Anno 2070’s world was eventless.
Not to say that the game lacks content. It doesn’t. It’s a generous package, but part of that package is the promise of nifty new online features. The unfulfilled promise of nifty online features. The friends list is still useless, there’s no way to admire other people’s cities, and the world events stopped.
That changes a bit today with the next world event! The Eden Initiative wants you to repair some busted structures called formers (pictured), which are super eco-friendly anti-pollution devices. As you finish the three scenarios in the Eden world event, you’ll unlock plans for new devices including the formers themselves. You can then research these plans in your other scenarios and build the new doo-dads. At least that’s how I think it works. I finished the first scenario and then loaded up the neverending city I’ve spent 20 hours building. I didn’t see any option to research my new plans yet. I blame the incredibly intricate research and crafting in Anno 2070.
Ubisoft is also selling some cosmetic frippery, upgraded versions of the tech you get by completing the world event, and even the option to just buy your way around the world event. More details here. Or just boot up the game and read all about it on the front-end.
Finally, someone wake up the Senate. They don’t have anything to vote for? The World Council is making them look bad.
Crusader Kings 2 is the sequel to what is probably Paradox’s finest game. I’ve spent quite a bit of time with it, but I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface. Which is par for the course for a Paradox game. But I can definitively say this is Paradox’s best interface yet. Not that I don’t have a list of improvements I’d like to see! It’s just that the list is shorter than it’s ever been.
Epic Quest is the new pinball table from Zen Studios for the Xbox 360, PS3, iOS, and Android. It’s a surprisingly simple and accessible table, but with a persistent RPG gimmick. I’m not convinced the gimmick adds much, but I’ve been playing it over and over and over just to be sure. I need an epic shield to round out my inventory. And I’m really close to dinging up to level 17, as I can tell by the xp bar at the bottom of the table.
Twisted Metal for the Playstation 3 is out this week. It’s a pretty awful single-player game, but it has potential as a multiplayer game, assuming you’re willing to meet it on its own terms. Sony hosted a few multiplayer sessions for media, but these didn’t really capture the full experience. So I’ll be back later this week with the final word. But for the most part, Twisted Metal sure is another Twisted Metal game! Take that as you will.
If you’re into Underground Farting Contests, which is what I’m told UFC stands for, THQ is releasing UFC Undisputed 3. Speaking of rhythm-based minigames, Rhythm Heaven Fever is not the throwaway Wii minigame collection you might expect. Check back tomorrow for more.
The Nintendo 3DS is going strong with Tales of the Abyss, a port of a JRPG from the Tales series, and Tekken 3D Prime Edition, a bona fide “yep, it’s Tekken” game. The release of Grand Slam Tennis 2 from EA surprises me, because I had no idea EA was doing tennis games. It’s hard to see over the towering awesomeness of Virtua Tennis 4. And because I missed its release last week, I should point out that the Jagged Alliance series is back in action with Jagged Alliance: Back in Action.
At the end of one of the levels in Shank 2, a lively and challenging grindhouse cartoon platformer/brawler, you’re pretty obviously headed for a boss battle against a helicopter. Which is a shame, because I have yet to fight a boss battle against a helicopter that wasn’t awful. If I never have to fight another helicopter, that’s fine by me. But I eventually figured out the flamethrower boss battle in Shank 2’s previous level. I’m sure I can handle yet another helicopter boss battle.
So first you have to run along the level and dodge the helicopter’s missiles (pictured). And then you get to the part where you have to fight the actual helicopter and — surprise! — it’s a cutscene. And as if that weren’t a pleasant enough surprise, the cutscene that follows is another boss battle that’s absolutely precious in Shank’s distinctive grindhouse cartoon way. Suffice to say Shank would win in a fight between a beefy taciturn action hero reluctantly championing a plucky rebel group and a shark.
After tweeting that the Valentine’s Day DLC for Rock Band would include the “single most requested song in 3+ years of tracking Rockband.com/request”, Harmonix reveals that it’s Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up”.
My first reaction is, “Oh, internet, you are so stupid”. My second reaction is, “You know, that song is kind of catchy and I bet it would be fun on keyboards”. My third and most enduring reaction is “Wait a minute, does that mean I can do that opening drum riff? Sold!”.
But really, here’s the song I wish they would finally add.
I haven’t played Space Marine, but if I do, I need to remember to bring a few extra bucks for multiplayer games. Because, as of today, here’s what three dollars will get me:
Unlock the deadly Power Sword weapon in multiplayer. Sheathed in a power field, it cuts through armor and flesh alike and features unique animations, combos and damage output.
I’m pretty sure I know what “unique damage output” means. THQ has all sorts of cosmetic DLC for Space Marine, but as near as I can tell, this is their first time selling something that gives the buyer an advantage in multiplayer.
The surprising thing about this list of inaccuracies in the latest Mass Effect novel, Mass Effect: Deception, isn’t that it’s so long. The surprising thing is that some of the inaccuracies are so egregious. And the even more surprising thing is that Bioware has conceded that some of them are actual mistakes. They’ve promised to address some of the issues in a later print run. It’s almost as if George Lucas admitted that Greedo didn’t shoot first.
I don’t have enough insight into the Mass Effect universe to understand some of these complaints, but then again I haven’t been contracted to write a Mass Effect novel. But I have to wonder why Bioware didn’t catch author William Deitz’ errors of krogan anatomy, batarian isolationism, quarian largesse, volus couture, and even the sexual predilection of at least one character. Bioware’s lore keepers should be at least as astute as the Amazon.com police.
The January doldrums are officially over! Which is a good thing, since it’s February. The very Fable-esque Kingdoms of Amalur: The Reckoning (pictured) will meet all your glib action RPG needs. Gotham City Impostors will meet all your Team Fortress 2 wanna-be needs. And The Darkness II once again mixes tentacles and mafiosos, in case that’s what you’re looking for in a shooter.
If you’ve got a Nintendo 3DS and you’ve not averse to some traditionally absurd survival horror, then Resident Evil: Revelations gets a seal of approval from this guy. Of course, that same guy is also really psyched that Rock Band gets a couple of Bush songs this week, so what does he know?
From Justin Gary, the developer of Ascension:
Back at the end of September, I got an e-mail from Alan Gerding with an unusual subject line. “An Ascension Marriage Proposal.” Intrigued, I opened it up and learned that Alan wanted to propose to his girlfriend, Crystol Shelton, using the game they love to play together–Ascension! We jumped at the opportunity, and quickly set to work making it happen.
See the results in the above video. You’d think he wouldn’t hit her with a Noxious Soul first. What a jerk.
Read the full story here.
Fortunately, no one has cross-bred a pinball machine with an an RPG. It’s bad enough that we can buy loot on the Blade table and upgrade the actual table in Moon Knight. The last thing I need is a persistent RPG system that lasts between games. I get RPGing in, well, nearly every other genre I play.
But the pushers at Zen Studios will change that later this month with the Epic Quest. At first glance, Epic Quest looks like a tongue-in-cheek Medieval fantasy themed table. You should be so lucky. It’s a persistent RPG in which you level up your character and earn loot as you play, all of which lasts over successive games. As if pinball wasn’t already enough of a time sink.
After the jump, take a closer look, if you dare Continue reading →
Project Zomboid is a work-in-progress indie game based on the concept of impending doom. When you launch the game, it gives you the option of following a story or starting in sandbox mode. I’ll be playing in sandbox mode.
The character creation system is still early on in development, but has a few interesting bits. You can choose perks and drawbacks, as long as they balance out. You choose a profession. There are more professions coming, but for now you can pick from police, fireman, security guard and a handful of others.
After the jump, my name is Jason McMaster, I’m a security guard, and I’m about to die. Continue reading →
