We reunite with our favorite childhood characters in Double Fine’s latest creation.
The third game to spawn out of Double Fine’s “Amnesia Fortnight” brainstorming session is Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster, an interactive story that revolves around some loveable monsters that we all know and love. This is obviously a game aimed at kids–more specifically the four to eight year old demographic–and it’s meant to be played cooperatively with a parent or older sibling. Given the amount of care that has been devoted to the developer’s recent releases, it’s probably safe to say that Once Upon a Monster is looking to get that same special treatment. How can you not smile when you see the happy-go-lucky Elmo bounce around with the cute furry little monster that is Grover?
Once Upon a Monster unfolds just like a storybook, where Elmo and the Cookie Monster have discovered a lost children’s book titled, “Once Upon a Monster.” Together they read the book and become a part of the actual story, meeting new monsters and helping them overcome their problems. It’s a cooperative game (for those family bonding sessions) where the second player can easily drop in and drop out. There’s a total of six chapters, each taking roughly 30 minutes to play through.
In our demo, we played as Marco, the furry monster in the story who is sad because no one attended his birthday party. Like the helpful monsters that they are, Elmo and Cookie Monster decide to cheer him up and come up with their own celebration. Cookie Monster of course runs off to get some food, and Elmo hops onto Marco’s shoulders to help him collect a few items for the party. Once we were able to take over, we played as Marco, who was running through this bright and colorful fluorescent forest with Elmo bopping on his shoulders. Marco is quite tall, and while he was running, we had to make sure that he jumped over logs that had fallen in his path and lean left or right to avoid giant rocks. Elmo on the other hand had to duck when low hanging branches appear, and raise his arms to grab the oddly shaped items dangling from the trees. There’s no penalty if you miss, but for players who do well they’ll earn rewards as they progress.
We jumped to the end of the chapter and reunited with Cookie Monster to celebrate Marco’s birthday. Here the monsters will invite you to say, “Happy birthday!” along with them, as well as help Marco blow out his candles. Grover eventually joins in the fun by switching into his Saturday Night Fever white suit in order to get you on the dance floor. The next part is like a simplified version of Dance Central, where you’ll mimic Grover and dance along to the music.
We play as a gun-toting marionette in Twisted Pixel’s upcoming shooter for Kinect.
Leave it to Twisted Pixel to come up with something quirky, silly and totally hilarious. At the Microsoft February Showcase in San Francisco, we got our first look at The Gunstringer, where we played as an undead cowboy who is the star of a stage show. There’s even a real life audience in game to cheer you on between acts.
This lone cowboy is out for revenge, and he’s going to get it with your help as the puppeteer. It’s an on-rail shooter using Kinect and once you jump into this fabricated theatrical performance (reminiscent of old spaghetti westerns), you’ll find that it actually takes some coordination and finesse to exact revenge on the posse who betrayed you.
It’s not that the controls aren’t responsive enough; it was actually quite solid and we were told that there would definitely be more fine tuning. Waving your right hand and left hand around at the same time can be tricky–unless you’ve mastered the art of patting your head and rubbing your belly.
In Gunstringer you use your left hand to move your puppet, flicking it up to jump and the right hand controls the target reticule. With a swift jerk up with your right forearm, you’ll be able to fire at any enemies that you’ve highlighted. Pointing your finger at the television and yelling “pew pew!” as though you’ve got an actual gun is optional, but the game is fun enough where you actually kind of want to. We’ve all ran around as kids pointing and firing at people with our fingers, so this actually felt quite natural and for the most part it was very responsive.
It will take some practice before you can weave around cacti like a pro with one hand while highlighting all the targets with your right hand and firing. At least it seems like we’re flexing certain parts of our brain that we normally don’t use. What also keeps you motivated though is that stuff blows up with dramatic flair when you unload your gun, so it feels like a shooting gallery except that you’re always on the move. It’s also interesting to listen to the narrator narrate what you’re doing on screen since you are in a play and there’s an audience to entertain.
The environments are full of random items thrown together and the characters that you meet and ultimately kill are so ridiculous that you can’t help but laugh as you go along. The Wavy Tube man was the first boss we came across, and he was basically a giant green wavy tube with tube arms donning a cowboy hat, blowing in the wind. You’ve seen these tubes before. They’re usually blowing around at a car dealership or some kind of festival to get your attention.
At a recent Microsoft press event, we got a chance to check out the XBLA (as well as PSN and PC) Ghostbusters top-down, twin-stick shooter called Sanctum of Slime. This particular game doesn’t really take place anywhere in the proper Ghostbusters storyline (yes, there’s a proper Ghostbusters storyline) as the characters and locations have been made specifically for this game. Unfortunately, that means no Spengler, Stantz, Venkman, or Zeddemore, but Sanctum of slime does support cooperative play for up to four characters that are not the Ghostbusters from the movie.
Mechanics in Sanctum of slime are pretty straightforward. The left analog stick controls movement while the right analog stick determines aiming and shooting–just as you’d find in most other twin-stick shooters.
The twist is that, in addition to the positron glider, you have two other weapons types at your disposal–each of which produces a different kind of projectile that you can access by pressing a shoulder button. You’ll know when to use a certain weapon type depending on the color of the ghost you’re attacking, so if the ghost happens to be red, then you use the regular glider.
If the ghost is yellow, then you use a different weapon that produces a yellow net-like projectile that covers a pretty big swath of space.
All of the weapons will inflict damage on a ghost no matter the color, but you can kill them (or is it re-kill?) them quicker when using the properly color coded weapon.
There are 12 levels and two separate boss levels in Sanctum of slime. Some of the locations you’ll see include a hotel, sewers, and a graveyard and most of the locations we’ve seen so far have enemies that are unique to that area. Level progression involves clearing out a room and then moving onto the next.
If any team member loses all of their health, you have an opportunity to revive them by standing over the body and pressing the designated button repeatedly. Doing this also means that you leave yourself open to attack, so generally you have to wait for an opening before you risk reviving a fallen comrade.
Robot Entertainment’s first effort falls in fantasy action-strategy genre, due on PC, possibly 360, PS3, this summer.
Ensemble Studios’ closure by Microsoft in 2009 sent shock waves throughout the industry, but it didn’t take long for many of the Age of Empires developers to land on their feet. One studio to form out of that studio’s remnants was Robot Entertainment, which formed under Tony Goodman and other former members of Ensemble’s leadership team.
Today, Robot’s first orders have been inputted, as the studio announced it will release Orcs Must Die as a digital download on consoles and PC this summer. According to a Robot representative, exact platforms have yet to be nailed down, but the studio is aiming to release the title on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
As its title may imply, Orcs Must Die sees players defending their castle from a never-ending flood of orcs and other infernal beasts. As seen in the game’s first trailer (below), the high-intensity action title sees players strategically retreating through their keeps while laying and springing traps that range from spiked logs to magical wrecking-ball pendulums.
Robot expects to offer additional details on the title at PAX East, which will take place from March 11-13 in Boston.
D3Publisher confirms Insect Armageddon delay; multiplayer action game now set to swarm Xbox 360, PS3 this summer.
Gamers eager to enlist in the Earth Defense Force will need to wait a little bit longer. According to the game’s official Facebook page, Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon will miss its previously announced spring release window and is now set for launch July 5.
In development at Vicious Cycle Games (Dead Head Fred, Matt Hazard), Insect Armageddon will once again cast players as a member of the Earth Defense Force. When the planet is attacked by alien invasion forces closely resembling giant ants, spiders, and other terrestrial bugs, the vastly outnumbered EDF makes up for a lack of manpower with an abundance of firepower.
To help stave off the invasion, Insect Armageddon will give players access to over 300 weapons and helpful tools like jetpacks and movable turrets. It will also allow up to three players to go through the campaign mode together online, or two players in split-screen cooperative mode. The game also features a separate six-player mode where players battle wave after wave of the alien menace together.
The Earth Defense Force series began life as Chikyuu Boueigun, part of D3Publisher’s Japanese line of Simple 2000 budget PlayStation 2 games. While the Xbox 360 offering Earth Defense Force 2017 was the first installment in the series to see release in North America, the previous installments made their way to Europe under the Global Defence Force and Monster Attack names.
If running around in an online world shooting anonymous people with a virtual rifle is something you consider yourself highly proficient at, how about if you were in control of the real thing?
Well now’s the time to find out. With the Ultimate Recruit Training Programme you’ll take control of an actual Helghast StA 52 Assault Rifle in an interactive close-combat experience. Taking place on a fully mechanized shooting range via the wonder of the web, real-time sensors will give you feedback and scoring via Facebook and Twitter.
Not only that but you’ll be screamed at by an experienced military campaigner, Drill Sergeant McCain, who will pore over your performance and shout you down if necessary. Now, do you maggots understand that?
Each recruit’s range performance is scrutinized by the ever-vigilant Drill Sergeant and only those who display extraordinary poise and control when firing, will satisfy his exacting standards. If you score low, don’t expect an easy ride, forgiveness is definitely not one of his virtues.
Two-mission add-on for EA’s sci-fi horror shooter arrives on XBL, PSN next week for ; no announced plans for PC release.
Electronic Arts bigwigs are already talking about Dead Space 3, but the company isn’t even done with Dead Space 2 yet. The publisher today announced that March 1 will see the launch of Dead Space 2: Severed for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the sci-fi shooter.
A downloadable add-on featuring characters from Dead Space: Extraction, Severed will include two stand-alone single-player chapters. The expansion will drop players into the role of Gabe Weller, a security guard on the necromorph-infested Sprawl, as he escorts Lexine Murdock to safety. Weller is equipped with an upgraded pulse rifle and security suit, both of which will come in handy when faced with the returning Twitcher, which fans may remember from the original Dead Space.
Dead Space 2: Severed will be available for .99 (560 Microsoft points). As for a PC release of the add-on, an EA representative told GameSpot that “the team is focusing on Severed for X360 and PS3.”
Microsoft announces simultaneous worldwide release for Epic Games’ Xbox 360-exclusive shooter; no beta date yet.
It may be one of the jewels in Microsoft’s 2011 lineup, but Gears of War 3 has had a tumultuous time on the road to release. The game’s unveiling was set to take place on chat show Late Night with Jimmy Fallon but was delayed, though not before the game’s release date was reportedly leaked on Xbox Live.
Shortly after the Late Night showing, Microsoft confirmed that the game would be landing in April 2011, but then had to renege on its initial promise and delay the game to a holiday 2011 release.
Today, Microsoft has announced a new worldwide release date for Gears of War 3 of September 20, 2011. This brings territories such as Japan, Australia, and Europe in line with the US, which was originally going to get the game first when it was slated for an April release date.
Microsoft has also named some of the maps and weapons that are due to appear in the game when it lands in September. There will be new multiplayer maps by the name of Trenches, Overpass, Mercy, Checkout, and Thrashball, as well as new weapons, including a bayonet charge, a retro lancer, a sawed-off shotgun, a one-shot, an incendiary grenade, and a digger launcher. Microsoft has also promised that more news on the multiplayer public beta will be released soon.
Gears of War 3′s new release date places it just one week after another high-profile shooter–id’s Rage. To find out more about Gears of War 3, including the game’s new Beast mode, read GameSpot’s ongoing coverage of the game.
Leading the pack this week is Killzone 3. Due out on Tuesday exclusively for the PlayStation 3, the title is the second Killzone title to debut on Sony’s high-definition console, following 2009′s adored Killzone 2.
Killzone 3 will be available in two versions, a standard release and a 0 limited-edition package with a replica mask and helmet of the series’ signature Helghast armies. While the headgear is the centerpiece of the extra goodies, the collector’s edition will also include a 6.5-inch articulated cloaking Helghast marksman action figure, an art book, and a voucher to download multiplayer maps, the game’s soundtrack, and more.
Out this week for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC is People Can Fly’s controversial first-person shooter/kicker Bulletstorm. Developed by Epic subsidiary People Can Fly, Bulletstorm is built around a skill-shot system that rewards players for dispatching enemies in creative and often gory ways.
Also out this week is Knights Contract for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Knights Contract sees players following the unlikely duo of the witch Gretchen and the immortal executioner Heinrich. Though Gretchen actually died at Heinrich’s hands, she has been resurrected and now controls the scythe-wielding warrior. Together, the pair struggles to save the world from a “black spell of death” and a supernatural army called the Harmonculous.
As Heinrich, gamers string together appendage-dismembering combos while the computer-controlled Gretchen uses her magic in a supporting role. Players will also be able to coordinate the pair’s attacks by issuing mid-melee commands to Gretchen, as well as executing finishing moves. While Heinrich is invincible, players will need to protect the vulnerable Gretchen if they want to complete their quest.
Gamers looking to get messy can pick up de Blob 2 this week. Unlike its predecessor, which debuted only on the Wii, the sequel hits the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, and DS on Tuesday.
In the console versions of de Blob 2, antagonist Comrade Black returns to suck the vivacity out of Prisma City, rigging an election to regain control of the commonwealth. As de Blob, players platform their way through the mired Prisma City, spreading color and restoring the city to its once-vibrant nature. de Blob will have a number of new moves and upgradable abilities, as well as a robot sidekick named Pinky. In addition to free-roaming levels, the console versions will feature a 2D underground component.
The DS version will feature exclusively 2D side-scrolling play. The handheld installment sees de Blob lounging in the tropics after having reclaimed Chroma City from the clutches of Comrade Black. In said jungle, however, the evil machinations of Comrade Black collaborator Dr. Von Bolt continue. He is conducting nefarious experiments on woodland creatures. New moves, compatriots, and enemies await de Blob in the DS adventure game.
For further details on the week’s games, visit GameSpot’s New Releases page. The full list of downloadable games on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Live Marketplace, and Wii Shop Channel will be revealed later this week. Release dates are based on retailer listings and are subject to change.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21
Ys I and II Chronicles–PSP–Xseed Entertainment
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22
Bulletstorm–PC, X360, PS3–Electronic Arts
de Blob 2–DS, Wii, X360, PS3–THQ
The Dreamcast Collection–PC, 360–Sega
Fallout: New Vegas: Dead Money–PC, PS3–Bethesda Softworks
Gray Matter–PC–Viva Media
Killzone 3–PS3–SCEA
Knights Contract–PS3, 360–Namco Bandai Games
Radiant Historia–DS–DS–Atlus U.S.A. Inc.
Rec Room Games–DS–Destineer
Trackmania–Wii–Dreamcatcher
Trackmania Turbo–DS–Dreamcatcher
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23
Bejeweled Blitz Live–X360–PopCap
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24
Gemini Rue–PC–Wadjet Eye Games
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25
Painkiller: Redemption–PC–DreamCatcher Interactive
Trapped Dead–PC–Iceberg Interactive
Chihuahua legislators ask federal authorities to outlaw Call of Juarez: The Cartel saying it will desensitize youth to real-life bloodshed.
Call of Juarez: The Cartel was only announced two weeks ago, but already it is being threatened with a ban. Over the holiday weekend, legislators in the Mexican state of Chihuahua asked federal authorities for a ban on the game.
The reason?
Unlike its predecessors, which were set during the Wild West, Call of Juarez: The Cartel takes place during modern times. As the name implies, the game chronicles a drug war along the Mexican border, casting players as a female FBI agent, a Wild West sheriff type, and an undercover drug agent. Developer Techland said it chose the setting in order to capture a “relevant plot” that would connect with today’s gamers.
Unfortunately, for Mexican lawmakers, the plot was too relevant. According to the Associated Press, roughly 6,000 people died in the Chihuahuan city of Ciudad Juarez–one of the settings of the game–in 2009 and 2010. Legislators worry that seeing the city’s real-life violence translated into video game form will further desensitize youths.
“Children wind up being easily involved in criminal acts over time, because among other things, during their childhood not enough care has been taken about what they see on television and playing video games,” state congress leader Enrique Serrano told the AP. “They believe so much blood and death is normal.”
