Inversion...zero gravity preview

We talk with one of the producers on Inversion about fighting in zero gravity, grappling enemies and cars, and massive destructible environments. ...

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Children of eden Preview

posted on Feb 28, 2011 We talk with producer, James Mielke, about Child of Eden and how music, abstract graphics, and Kinect makes this game a piece of ar...

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..Harmonix brainstorming 'reimaginings' of Rock Band, new motion games

by Andrew Yoon on Feb 28th 2011"There's no denying that Rock Band 3 hasn't yet sold to the level we hoped it would out of the gate," Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos admitted to Edge. "But on the flipside of that we also believe that it's a product that has a lot of life." It may be difficult to share Rigopulos' optimism. Since the beginning of the year, Viacom sold Harmonix (back to Harmonix), MTV Games was shut down and Activision hit the pause button on its long-running Guitar Hero franchise. Still, Rigopulos offers a "glass half-full" interpretation of Activision's retraction from the genre, seeing a newfound opportunity to expand the developer's audience. "We think there are also a lot of devoted Guitar Hero fans who have probably never given...

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Grasshopper announcing new title next month

by Ben Gilbert on Feb 28th 2011 10:30PM Suda51's Japanese dev studio, Grasshopper Manufacture, is working on a ton of stuff. Between Shadows of the Damned, Sine Mora, codename D and an uannounced NPG project, we have to imagine the folks at Grasshopper don't have much free time. Regardless, the studio will take a timeout on March 30 to host a Ustream event, during which Grasshopper will announce a new game -- perhaps that NGP title? Dubbed "Grasstream 2: Travis vs. Garcia" (named for the main characters of No More Heroes and Shadows of the Damned), the event will feature frank discussion from Suda51 on Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, an acoustic performance of music from No More Heroes, the aforementioned "new game announce," and "hands-on...

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Devil May Cry movie rights acquired by Screen Gems

by Andrew Yoon on Feb 28th 2011 8:45PM 41 Screen Gems' last partnership with Capcom was a resounding success: the Resident Evil films have grossed over $580 million worldwide. It is undoubtedly looking to replicate that success with its latest acquisition, Devil May Cry. Kyle Ward has been hired to write the script. Ward is currently unproven; his first feature-length script, Fiasco Heights, will debut later this year. In addition to Devil May Cry, Ward is also signed for another video game adaptation: Kane & Lynch. According to Variety, the film will feature Dante on a quest to "avenge his mother's murder by killing off demons." Given the early status of the project, it's unclear if the film will be based on the classic games, or on Ninja Theory's upcoming reboot. Given Paul Anderson's...

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Spartacus Finale episode review

Friday's Spartacus: Gods of the Arena finale left us feeling abused, amused and slightly bemused. Bloodshed we expected, even a few tears, but a happy ending? We didn't see that one coming from across the arena. In the wake of Titus and Melitta's death, the House of Batiatus was out for blood. Believing Tullius was behind the tainted wine, Batiatus' crew ambushed Tullius and his minions in an alley, where his life was initially spared, but only so Batiatus could kill him later and then wall his body up in the new arena he had built. What is with these ancient Romans and extreme displays of disrespect? On the arena's opening day, Sextus decided to treat the crowds to public executions including one for escaped slave Diona. Also, Solonius proved himself to be a good student at backstabbing...

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More from Arkham

by Hilary Goldstein Batman and Gotham City share a special connection. On the rooftops, it's as if the Dark Knight is connected to the soul of the city. He knows every alleyway, every criminal safe haven, every trouble spot. Trapped in Arkham Asylum last game, Batman was disconnected from the city that speaks to him. In Arkham City, Batman is in his element. This isn't Batman trapped in an asylum; this is a city full of criminals trapped with Batman. Arkham City is a section of Gotham run by Warden Hugo Strange where the inmates of Arkham Asylum and Blackgate prison have been placed. The major criminals have secured their own districts and run them with some autonomy. To ensure gamers feel like Batman at his best, the city is wide...

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Fight night Champion...wait it's more like runner up

by Hilary Goldstein It was my first fight as the great Roberto Duran. A few rounds in, I noticed Duran's white trunks had this odd red pattern on them. After a moment, I realized it wasn't dye in the fabric, but blood. My opponent's blood. Fight Night Champion shows the brutal price boxers pay for stepping into the ring. You can practically see the imprint of the glove on someone's face when you tag them enough. You can tell the severity of a cut – from mere scrapes to deep gashes – on the cheek just by looking. And once the blood starts flowing, you'll know it. It's all over the ring -- and Roberto Duran's trunks. Fight Night Champion, the fifth entry in the series, does an excellent job of enhancing the experience in the ring. Not only can you see the impact of punches,...

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..Killzone 3 review: Third time's the harm

by Andrew Yoon  The Killzone franchise has always been caught in a struggle against early expectations. The first game fell short of its "Halo killer" billing, and the next console outing had to match a lofty, pre-rendered visual "target" -- while it came close, it couldn't silence sharp-eyed critics. With Killzone 3, developer Guerrilla has no new benchmark to beat except for the one it already set for itself: be better than Killzone 2. Critics, myself included, praised that last game, even though a few turn-offs still slipped through. Killzone 3 systematically addresses every complaint voiced: the graphics have become more colorful, the story has been greatly expanded, and the controls have been tweaked to feel less sluggish. But reactionary...

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More Skyrim

by Justin McElroy on Feb 24th 2011 10:27AM123We thought we couldn't be more excited for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, but the just-debuted first in-game footage for the game has proven us terriffically, comically wrong. Dragon fights? Beautiful environments? The kind of score that makes you want to leap out of your chair and just LARP? It's all here. Come with us after the break. Come, have a boner ... or a lady bon...

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Bizarre's Wilson: 'perfect storm' led to studio's death

by Alexander Sliwinski 2Less than a week after we said "goodbye" to Bizarre Creations, the Blur-ry details of what killed the developer are starting to come into focus. Eurogamer has an interview with Gareth Wilson, former design manager at the studio, who has since gone on to take a position at Sumo Digital. Wilson called Bizarre's death a "perfect storm of unfortunate circumstances." Wilson explained that getting attention for Blur, a new IP, at this point in the console cycle, was difficult -- especially with high-quality breakouts and juggernaut competition on the field. He believes that the quality of the competition, along with the state of the global economy, meant that gamers weren't ready to "take a risk." He points out several other...

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The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Hands-On - Combat, Monster Forensics, and Side Quests

By Maxwell McGee, GameSpotGeralt of Rivia is called upon to investigate a crime of passion during our hands-on demo of The Witcher 2.It has been four years since Polish developer CD Projekt Red released The Witcher back in 2007. Inspired by the works of fantasy author Andrzej Sapkowski, this dark, high-fantasy role-playing game followed the stoic Geralt of Rivia, a "witcher" well versed in the study of monsters and other creatures. Set after the events of the first game, The Witcher 2 pits Geralt's martial and magical prowess against a deadly elven spy, Iorveth, as well as the mysterious assassin Kingslayer. The sequel also changes up the combat mechanics and forgoes the rhythmic timing and constant stance switching of the original Witcher...

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Ipad 2 coming March 2nd??????

By Tor Thorsen, GameSpot Posted Feb 23, 2011 3:51 pm PT Apple sends out quasi-cryptic invite teasing likely reveal of its next gaming-friendly tablet. Next Wednesday, the Game Developers Conference will be in full swing, with a keynote address by Nintendo president Satoru Iwata kicking off the event's biggest day. However, not far away, Apple will be convening the technology press for what will likely be the unveiling of a new iPad. What could Apple be unveiling on March 2? Image credit: Engadget. The less-than-subtle invite, obtained by tech blog Engadget, shows a large number "2" underneath a small "March" being peeled away from what appears to be an iPad. At the bottom, a line reads "Come see what 2011 will be the year of." The date...

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Trinity: Souls of Zill O'll Review

A trio of would-be heroes enter a clearing in a burned-down forest. They come to a sudden stop, unsheathe their weapons, and take a deep breath. A troll stands before them. He stares down at the miniscule pests who dare enter his home. The guttural roar he unleashes would turn a ghost white, but it's the oversized club in his hands that proves his bite is what you should really fear. It's covered with the remains of the last living things that dared to challenge him. This is an image that has been reproduced in countless games before. Trinity: Souls of Zill O'll has no interest in subverting how this classic battle unfolds, instead ensuring the game's traditional take on hack-and-slash role-playing excels at its most basic elements. There isn't...

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3DS launch games

 Michael McWhertor — The Nintendo Channel has released new video of three of theNintendo 3DS's North American launch games, PilotWings Resort, Steel Diver and Nintendogs + Cats. Will any of them convince you to put in a pre-order?The 3DS will launch later this week in Japan, so we'll soon have extended hands on coverage of some of its overseas launch titles. It doesn't hit North America until March 27, alongside the three aforementioned games and 15 others joining the Nintendo 3DS launch line-up, so you have plenty of time to decide...

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Petroglyph Enters The Online Arena With Rise Of The Immortals

Mike Fahey — The strategy masters at Petroglyph Games take a stab at online action with Rise of the Immortals, a free-to-play Multiplayer Online Battle Arena game aimed at both casual and competitive MOBA players. Much like Riot Games' League of Legends or Stunlock Studios' Bloodline Champions, Rise of the Immortals will put players in control of a powerful champion, taking on other players in mouse-based arena combat. It's the sort of competitive multiplayer us older players can really get behind as we grow too stiff for competitive first-person shooters.What sets Rise of the Immortals apart from other games in the genre? For one, Immortals gain experience points as you play them that stay with you throughout your RotI career. You level up your characters, unlocking new skills,...

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Test Drive Unlimited 2 Review

Though it is dubbed "Unlimited", a developer has to be selective when making something as huge and ambitious as Test Drive Unlimited 2. In extensively re-creating the island of Ibiza for its open-world, online driving game, Eden games presumably had to give up foam parties and club-addled tourists at an early stage. The omissions are few, however. TDU2 is a smorgasbord of open-road driving, single- and multiplayer challenges, exploration, social features, car collecting, and luxury lifestyle trappings, played out on 3,000km of road modeled on the real island--and that's before you unlock Oahu, the Hawaiian island on which the first game was set. Quality, not quantity, is TDU2's occasional issue; uneven handling and visual and online hitches...

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