Bad Company 2 Vietnam Gameplay

In the words of James Woods from Call of Duty Black Ops: This is nam baby! Although Bad Company 2: Vietnam isn't Call of Duty, this $15 dollar downloadable expansion for everyone who has a company of Bad Company 2 looks promising and about to provide the most thorough and epic multiplayer experience of Vietnam. Check out this gameplay!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eX1QmWAHEhQ&feature=sub

Dragon Age 2 Behind the Scenes

This is an awesome look on what's going on behind the scenes in the development of Dragon Age 2. 2010 was, in my opinion, one of the best years for gamers because of all of the great titles that came out. However there are so many games next year I am especially excited about and you should be to.

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/unnameddragonageprojectworkingtitle/video/6284996?tag=topslot;img;2

Bulletstorm Multiplayer Hands-On

Bulletstorm is game that is all about "killing with style", and the combat in this game was meant to be ridiculous and just plain fun. What distinguishes Bulletstorm from most games is that it awards you for killing your enemies in absurd ways. For example, you can kick someone into a sharp structure, then kick a barrel towards and shoot the barrel while your enemy is hopelessly impaled by the cactus. There are far more absurd things you can do, and while there is no competitive multiplayer, there is a cooperative multiplayer component that is competitive in spirit. You are working together with your teammates but your each trying to show who's better by earning the most amount of points. Learn more at...

http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/action/untitledpeoplecanflyproject/news.html?sid=6284863&om_act=convert&om_clk=picks&tag=picks;title;1&mode=previews

WoW Cataclysm The World Reborn Trailer

Yet another expansion is arriving for loved MMO, World of Warcraft. For those who cannot get enough of looting, raiding, and murlok slaying in one of the most popular MMO's of all time, check out this new trailer giving look on how the old zones of WoW have undergone a significant transformation. It is quite a beautiful trailer, and I am sad to say that I will be missing this game. I wish I could play World of Warcraft, but I remember that I was too addicted to this game. I cannot waste my college years playing WoW though, as well as the other awesome games that wil l continue to come out. As for you WoW lovers, I hope you will enjoy the countless hours you will put into this expansion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjgGS1SQslY&feature=sub

IGN: What we want from Borderlands 2

Borderlands was a Diablo-esque first person shooter RPG hybrid where you collected loot from the numerous chests and enemies scattered throughout the fictional planet of Pandora. Plus, the game had a great co-operative experience, but as the people of IGN (and myself believe), there were a few things I disliked about the game, and I really hope Gearbox Studios gets community feed back on what to do for their next sequel.

It's a great article, and those who have played Borderlands 1 may have some disagreements (I didn't like the idea of having a crafting system), but it's still a great article all around. Check it out.

http://pc.ign.com/articles/113/1137586p1.html

IGN Shogun 2

Shogun 2, an epic game of epic proportions. I have loved the total war and I was a little ashamed that I didn't get into the Total War games until Medieval II came out. These games are amazing in scale and scope, and you will learn why when you check out this article.

http://pc.ign.com/articles/113/1137776p1.html

Holiday Buyers Guide for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC

Just giving you a list of my recommendations on the best games of 2010 and what games you should buy for you're loved ones or yourself if you haven't already. This list will only include Xbox 360, PS3, and PC titles

Mass Effect 2 (Xbox 360): A fantastic sequel and an RPG with both a great story and combat. While people who haven't played the first Mass Effect may feel lost with the plot, the information given is substantial enough that you can find yourself lost in this beautiful space opera.

Battlefield Bad Company 2 (Xbox 360, PS3, and PC): As long as you don't buy it used, this game comes in with a VIP code that gives you access to additional maps, while the first three map packs were clearly pulled from the game to punish those who bought the game used, DICE has offered continual support to one of my favorite shooters of 2010. People who have played Call of Duty might find this game overwhelming because of the giant battlefields, all of the vehicles, and the lack of "twitch combat", but anyone that pursues it and gets into it won't be disappointed

Red Dead Redemption (Xbox 360 & PS3): Fantastic story, many things to do within the wild west universe, solid shooting, deep and interesting characters, and a decent multiplayer component alongside. This is one of the best open world games of all time, even though it doesn't take place in a bustling city like Grand Theft Auto. Plus there is the downloadable Undead Nightmare expansion that costs only $10 and provides hours of gameplay plus a new multiplayer mode.

Starcraft 2 (PC): the successor to one of the greatest RTS (real time strategy) game of all time (at least according to popular opinion). This game is the only one real good real time strategy game to come out this year. This game features a very fun and varied campaign, highly competitive, balanced, and fun multiplayer, and support for a variety of custom games in special game types online that are brought to you buy Starcraft's modding community.

God of War (PS3): This is a very short, but sweet single player epic. Badass, for the lack of a better world, describes this game. There is so much violence and destruction, but the game and the universe it encompasses is so beautiful.

Halo Reach (X360): There is no Master Chief this time around, but this game is still amazing regardless of his presence. The game follows the story of a team of six Spartan super soldiers known as Noble Six as they try to save their planet from inevitable destruction. While the single player is fun and features 4 player co-op, the real staying power of this game comes from the multiplayer. There is a co-operative mode called Firefight where you are supposed to stand you're ground against oncoming waves of the alien covenant. Besides co-operative multiplayer, there is a deep competitive multiplayer component that features normal maps and modified maps that use Bungie's Forge 2.0 tool. For those that have played the previous Halo's one notable new addition to the game is a little something called armor abilities, where Spartan's can use special abilities or equipment such as a jet pack, , a hologram, invisibility, and much more.

Civilization 5 (PC): While Starcraft 2 remains king of real time strategy this year, Civilization 5 and its predecessor have remained the king of turn based strategy, and it doesn't really change here. For those who haven't played the previous "Civ" games, you're objective is to lead a civilization and guide it to victory and prosperity by running and managing you're civilizations actions. It's actually not that complex of a game, and the new addition city-states add an interesting new factor.

Call of Duty Black Ops (Xbox 360, PS3, and PC): Another installment of one of the most popular series of shooters, this game had the biggest entertainment launch in history, and that is majorly because the game has such a fantastic online component and very fun competitive multipalyer along with the fun single player that plays out like a Michael Bay movie. Anyone that likes shooters should get this game, and I assure you that those who disliked Modern Warfare 2 will be happy with the changes and improvements made in this game.

This is, in my view my favorite games of 2010. However other games I would like to bring to you're attention are Assassin's Creed 2 Brotherhood and Need for Speed Hot Pursuit, Super Street Fighter 4, Heavy Rain, and MAG. The ones listed above however, are my absolute favorite titles I have played this year.

Battlefield: BC2 Map Pack 7 and Vietnam

In other news regarding map packs, Battlefield Bad Company 2's new map pack is coming tomorrow which is free to Bad Company 2 owners that entered in the VIP code that came with the new copy of their game. The four new maps are Oasis, Harvest Day, Heavy Metal, and Cold War, and each of the maps are supported on all four of Bad Company 2's game modes. In even better news, we finally have a release date for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam (an downloadable expansion for Bad Company 2. It comes out on December 21 right during the holiday break. I have 3 weeks off during the Holidays and if I am not skiing, I will be online playing all of the great multiplayer games that came out this year.

Trailer for Battlefield: BC2 Map Pack 7: http://www.gametrailers.com/video/vip-map-battlefield-bad/707948

Halo Reach Noble Map Pack out tomorrow

If you aren't busy playing Call of Duty Black Ops or you're just looking for an excuse to play some Halo again, the Noble Map Pack is dropping on digital shelves on Xbox Live tomorrow. I have been busy lately playing Call of Duty Black Ops, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, and Need for Speed Hot Pursuit multiplayer, but now with the new map pack I will have four games in which I can spend time playing. I am not sure I can even get to a reasonably high level in Need for Speed or Assassin's Creed 2 before Crysis 2 and Dragon Age 2 come out next year. And I haven't even replayed Fallout New Vegas yet and that game has a ton of content and stuff to do.

Here are gameplay commentaries on each of the three maps that are coming out tomorrow.

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/66634

Shift 2 Unleashed Interview

With the recent launch of Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, the next Need for Speed title is going to forsake its arcade roots, and Shift 2 seeks to be a racing simulator that competes to the bigger racing titles like Forza Motorsport and Gran Turismo.

http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/driving/needforspeedshift2/video/6284592?hd=1&tag=topslot;watchlink;1

Gran Turismo 5 Gamespot Now Playing

Gran Turismo is coming out tomorrow and here is an hour of gameplay as two Gamespot editors show you a little gameplay. I will warn you that the editor playing is not particularly skilled at this game so hardcore Gran Turismo fans will be annoyed by that. I personally don't care much for racing simulators because I don't like games that try to be realistic because realism isn't really that fun. I prefer racing games like Blur and Need for Speed where the driving is really smooth and easy, and you go at ridiculously high speeds while using special weapons to destroy your opposition, Arcade racers provide what I want from video games - fun. And while racing sims are enjoyable, it almost feels like my reason for not playing sports games. Why play a sports game when I can do the real thing? Arcade racers like Need 4 Speed and Blur are nowhere near the real thing, and that's why I play racing games like those. I am nonetheless, considering to buy this for my PS3, but I am not making any promises. Check out for an hour of gameplay on...

http://www.gamespot.com/shows/now-playing/?event=now_playing_gran_turismo_520101122&tag=topslot;img;1&hd=1&tag=hotslot%3Bimg%3B1

Gran Turismo 5 on shelves this week

So after 10 years of development Gran Turismo 5 is finally coming out on November 24. That's right, after the very successful Gran Turismo 4 on Playstation 2, PS3 owners will finally get their hands on the sequel they were waiting for. Let's hope that this game is PS3's beautiful answer to Xbox 360's Forza Motorsport. And while we are talking about this, lets look at a trailer to get the racing fans excited.

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/title-cinematic-gran-turismo/707738

Bonus Round: The end of 2010

In this episode of the bonus round Shacknews’ Garnett Lee, Pach-Attack’s Michael Pachter and Hit Detection’s N’Gai Croal sit around and make their comments on the years end for the video game industry and voice their predictions on the future of Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony. Three out of four parts of the Bonus Round are not out, but next week the last part will be about the biggest disappointments in the game industry of 2010.

http://www.gametrailers.com/episode/bonusround/411?ch=1
http://www.gametrailers.com/episode/bonusround/411?ch=2
http://www.gametrailers.com/episode/bonusround/411?ch=3

What is Final Fantasy 13 Versus?

Final Fantasy 13 is actually a (or part of a) title held by three games. The first final fantasy was well recieved, but got criticisms for being linear in design. I for one, didn't finish Final Fantasy because I wasn't really into the story nor did I really like 6 characters that were prominently featured in the game. I personally didn't mind that it was linear, and I thought the game's combat system was clever. It was just that I didn't really have an urge to see a game that long enough to the end.

Nonetheless, Final Fantasy 13 Versus is a different game that's been in development independent of Final Fantasy 13, and unlike FF13, Versus is open world and it seems to have a more appealing story. To learn more check out this article

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/113/1135355p1.html

Dragon Age 2: Building on the Past preview

Check out this important interview that delivers the basic rundown of the plotline of Dragon Age 2, plus how you're actions in Dragon Age Origins will impact the game.

Black Ops day one sales set a new record

Last year, Activision said that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was the biggest launch in entertainment history, but within only a span of a year, that changed with a game called Call of Duty Black Ops. Within the first day, Black Ops has already racked up $360 million in sales, and sold 5.6 million copies in the first day.

So here is the question of the day...do you think the next Call of Duty game will be an even bigger entertainment launch than black ops, or will people realize that Call of Duty's formula has gotten stale? Sound off on the comments below.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6283887.html?tag=latestheadlines%3Btitle%3B1

Star Wars: Old Republic - Warzone and Crafting

Old Republic is a new MMO that has constantly been having its release date pushed back. However because some of you are begging to play the MMO that could potentially dethrone WoW, check out this article and video interview on the new crafting system and the awesome PvP.

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/starwarstheoldrepublic/news.html?sid=6283531&mode=previews&tag=topslot;img;3

Crysis 2 Multiplayer Interview

Check out this gamespot interview on Crysis 2. The simplest way to describe Crysis 2 is that this game is a hybrid between Call of Duty and Halo. The combat is quick and fanatic like both games, and you do play a super soldier. Unlike in Halo however, the guns are very precise and you will die easily like in any realistic shooting engagement. While Halo Reach does have something called armor abilities, the first Crysis game actually already had something of a similar nature where you could augment your armor to give you abilities such as super speed. One cool thing though was that you could immediately switch your armor on the spot as opposed to dying and selecting a different "loudout" like you would in Halo reach.

If there is one thing that distinguishes itself from Call of Duty or Halo its that the levels are very vertical. Since the game takes place in Manhattan, multiple battles will be fought through the city street and structures, you can get shot from anywhere and I mean anywhere.

http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/crysis2/news.html?sid=6283599&mode=previews&tag=topslot;img;4

Battlefield: BC2 VIP Map Pack 7

Just when I was thinking that the map packs you got in Bad Company 2 was just a way to make sure you bought the game new, they are now realeasing a new map pack with a healthy dose of maps. Unlike the last 6 map packs, each new map pack came with 3 recycled maps that were only playable within specific game modes. The map packs themselves provided an incentive to buy the game new, and it was clear from the first few map packs that this was content that was held back (you didn't even have to download it, it was just unlocked). This time however, there will be four (semi) new maps that come complemented with their own game modes. Personally I love the Battlefield series for its large conflicts where you can pretty much do anything (fly a chopper, sneak behind enemy lines, destroy tanks, snipe long ranges, directly assault the base, or just goof around). This game has a great multiplayer component and I recommend that anyone who hasn't bought this game should give it a try. It's certainly not the run-and-gun game that is Call of Duty.

Map 1: Oasis
Origin: Battlefield: Bad Company multiplayer
Game modes: Rush, Conquest, Squad Rush, Squad Deathmatch

Map 2: Harvest Day
Origin: Battlefield: Bad Company multiplayer
Game modes: Rush, Conquest, Squad Rush, Squad Deathmatch

Map 3: Cold War
Origin: Battlefield: Bad Company 2 singleplayer
Game modes: Rush, Squad Rush, Squad Deathmatch

Map 4: Heavy Metal
Origin: Battlefield: Bad Company 2 singleplayer
Game modes: Conquest, Squad Rush, Squad Deathmatch

This will all be free of course.

Source: http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/66370

Little Big Planet 2 Creatinator Trailer

Little Big Planet 2 is a PS3 game that was a sequel to a platformer with a very powerful community. Essentially, Little Big Planet offered tools for players to customize their own levels and everyone else who had an internet connection and the game could get access to all of the fantastic player created content. As a result, the game had unlimited replay value because there was so much content being created. Now with Little Big Planet 2, players are not restricted solely to platforming levels, and can now choose to create many types of levels including racing, puzzle and role-playing games. New animation recording options are available and players will be able to create full-motion cut-scenes to go with their level design, manipulate the camera for both cut-scenes and gameplay, and record their own sound effects for use in the level. Costomization will be taken up to the next level.

This game was pulled back from a holiday season release and its now scheduled to release on the 18th of January. Here is a new trailer of one of many new items in LBP2 called the creatinator.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2pflXMBOAA

What is FireFall?

FireFall is a PC game that completely escaped my radar, but it was apparently aired during PAX 2010. It's an MMO shooter which has an artistic style similar to borderlands. The world is cell-shaded, and the graphics are really good by MMO standards. So far, it is apparently supposed to be free. There will obviously be a microtransaction system. The game looks completely amazing in concept and looks, and I look forward to learning more. Check out this awesome trailer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvsaaz1ZILA&feature=iv&annotation_id=annotation_345053

Asssassin's Creed Brotherhood Developer Diary 4

Check out the latest developer diary that explains the storyline behind the multiplayer and some unknown facts about what the templars are doing to fight the assassins.

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/brotherhood-diaries-assassins-creed/707183

Battlefield Play 4 Free announced

In 2008 EA unveiled a free downloadable game called Battlefield Heroes, a free to play downloadable third person shooter for the PC. The game will incorporate certain elements from Battlefield 2 and Bad Company 2, but know one knows exactly what those new elements are. The graphics and the middle eastern combat is going to be there, and the game strives for a more realistic look as opposed to Battlefield Heroes.

Obviously since this game is "free to play" chances are that there will be a micro transaction system for those who want to unlock all of the goodies and level up faster. Learn more at...

http://pc.ign.com/articles/113/1132440p1.html

Also check out the latest trailer for the Bad Company 2: Vietnam DLC that is coming out this holiday season!

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/hill-137-battlefield-bad/707137

Bioshock Infinite Engine Improvements

The old Bioshock was game with both a creepy and beautiful atmosphere, and all of this was on the Unreal 2.5 engine. Bioshock Infinite is slated for a 2012 release and it's going to run on the Unreal 3 engine. However, the team at Irrational has modified the engine to accommodate their own game. To learn about the improvements made, check out this article at Shack News.

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/66321

Shogun 2 Total War Story Trailer

Creative Assembly's latest Total War game is in development and I am surprised how much little coverage this game is getting. Shogun Total War was the very first "Total War" game created by Creative Assembly which was able to simulate massive battles with more than 1,000 troops on screen. Games like Medeval and Rome Total War were also well recieved, however the most recent games, Empire Total War and Napeleon Total War were not as well received. Both of those games were good in their own right but I found myself not as engaged with the most recent Total War games. However after many years, Creative Assembly is returning to their roots, bringing features like naval combat, naval sieges, enhanced models and graphics, and the same massive battles Total War fans have known and loved.

http://www.ign.com/videos/2010/11/03/shogun-2-total-war-story-trailer

Homefront Gamestop Interview

"The year is 2027. The world as we know it is unraveling after fifteen years of economic meltdown and widespread global conflict over dwindling natural resources. A once proud America has fallen, her infrastructure shattered and military in disarray. The USA is powerless to resist the ever expanding occupation of a savage, nuclear armed Greater Korean Republic."

That is basically Homefront, and as far as story is concerned, Homefront seems focused on not creating a singleplayer with a great story. As far as multiplayer is concerned, the only real highlighting factor that has been revealed so far is 32 person multiplayer. This looks like a typical FPS, but not much else has been revealed. Check back for additional coverage and specific details, as this game will be coming out next year February 22, 2011.

http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/homefront/video/6283474?tag=topslot;watchlink;1

Dead Space 2 Ring around the Rosie Trailer

Dead Space 2 is a sci-fi survival-horror third person shooter, and it's a sequel to a positively received game. Some critics view Dead Space as the best survival horror game since Resident Evil 4. It's visceral, gory, scary, and thrilling. If you're a fan of survival or horror (or any combination of the two) then get it. It's $20 off Amazon.com, or just borrow it from a friend if he happens to have it.

http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/deadspace2workingtitle/video/6283424/dead-space-2-ring-around-the-rosie-trailer?tag=topslot;img;2

Gran Turismo 5 gone gold

Numerous years of development, and one of the succesors to one of the most critically acclaimed racing franchises of all time is almost here. Despite being delayed numerous times over, Gran Turismo 5 is finally being produced as this is being written. Many people bought a pS3 to play this very game, so this is actually a big deal that this game is finally hitting shelves. What's a bigger deal however, is whether or not this game will live up to the hype. Check back for information on Gran Turismo 5.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6283427.html?tag=latestheadlines%3Btitle%3B1

Black Ops Gameplay

An hour Call of Duty Black Ops multipalyer and an RC car montage. Combined with the great launch trailer, this is a good day for CoD fans.

http://www.gamespot.com/shows/now-playing/?now_playing_call_of_duty_black_ops20101101&tag=topslot;img;1
http://www.ign.com/videos/2010/11/02/call-of-duty-black-ops-best-rc-car-kills
http://www.ign.com/videos/2010/11/01/call-of-duty-black-ops-launch-trailer

World of Warcraft Cataclysm Design Interview

Check out the latest interview on how the Blizzard team has reformed the entire World of Warcraft experience. Despite the fact that Blizzard doesn't do much in offering new classes, Blizzard is devoted to make sure that the classes are balanced and everything feels great. This includes a major overhaul of the talent tree system, making the game more accessible to the casual gamer, and all of the new features added to the guild system.

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/blizzcon-10-wow-cataclysm/706973

Xbox Live Fall Update

Microsoft's Xbox Live Fall update just became available starting today. In addition to adding support for Microsoft's new add-on peripheral Kinect, Microsoft is also bringing changes to the Xbox interface. New applications include ESPN, where you can get the latest footage and information on sports. Also there are new features for Zune including a new market place. Finally, Microsoft has also improved on the quality of voice chat.

http://xboxlive.ign.com/articles/113/1131338p1.html

8 Things about Fallout New Vegas that would make Black Isle Proud

I have never played the old Fallout games, but while Fallout 3 was bringing the series to an entirely new area, Fallout New Vegas is more of a love note to those who played the old Fallout games. To learn why check out this article.

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/113/1131020p1.html

Call of Duty Black Ops and Goldeneye 007 Launch Trailer

Tomorrow, the successor of one of the greatest shooting games in console history is about to be released tomorrow for the Nintendo Wii. In slightly over a week, Call of Duty: Black ops is going to hit shelves. It's just a shot away.

Call of Duty Black Ops: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9Ny1DGIsMc
Goldeneye 007: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqwaL6ohf8g&feature=sub

Call of Duty Black Ops: Bonus Round Part 4

Finally part 4 of the bonus round has been uploaded. With the game slightly over a week away, shooter fans have something to get excited about. In this episode the Treyarch team talks about futures they had to cut from the game, and the challenges they went through trying to make a well paced singleplayer campaign, a great co-op zombie experience, and a balanced and fun multiplayer experienced.

http://www.gametrailers.com/episode/bonusround/410?ch=4&sd=1

F3AR trailer

A new trailer of the survival-horror shooter sequel is here, while the first F.E.A.R. was fairly successful, the sequel didn't do as well for critics criticized it for having poor story, plenty of cliche "jump scares", and a dull multiplayer. This trailer isn't short of its own jump scares, but here's to hoping that this third iteration will do the second F.E.A.R. justice.

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/blood-ties-f-e-a-r-3/706895

Games of November 2010

With November coming tomorrow, also comes a laundry list of big game launches. The big ps3/360 launch titles are Call of Duty Black Ops and Assassin's Creed Brotherhood. As for the Wii, notable titles include Donkey Kong Country Returns, Disney's Epic Mickey, and Goldeneye 007. Along with these games, Xbox 360's new add-on peripheral Kinect will be arriving in a matter of a few days. Check back for more details and coverage.

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/games-of-gt-release/706849

Killzone 3 Beta Info and Gameplay

Killzone 2 was a great game with great graphics and a very solid multiplayer. The sad thing was that the multiplayer felt sluggish and the game didn't control well. It is one of those games that rests on the shelf and collects dust, despite being a well produced game. With better controls, we continue to play games like Halo and Call of Duty, but Guerrilla Games studio is about to change all of that. For those that have been very lucky or Playstation Plus Subscribers, they get to play the Killzone 3 beta. Killzone 3 itself will land in shelves next year in February. Check out this video giving you the basic lowdown on Killzone 3 multiplayer. One of my favorites about Killzone was that it had a multiplayer mode in which the objectives changed. One second you will be trying to land as many kills as possible, and another second you will be capturing and defending certain points, and another second you have an assassination target that needs to be eliminated. Yes, Killzone 2 had varied multiplayer, but it unfortunately never controlled well. Hopefully this all changes.

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/multiplayer-preview-killzone-3/706879

Gametrailers TV Mortal Kombat

Check out this episode of gametrailers TV for the latest scoop on the Mortal Kombat game. Mortal Kombat was one of the most popular fighting games a long side Street Fighter, the brand known as Mortal Kombat eventually stopped being developed and it's been many years since a new Mortal Kombat has been put into development. This video also involves a quick demonstration at the end that shows how motion capture technology is used to create the "fatalities" that have become so commonplace in Mortal Kombat.

http://www.gametrailers.com/episode/gametrailers-tv/108?ep=108

Gamespot: Now Playing Kinect

Here is a video showing over an hour of footage of Microsoft's new add-on peripheral for the Xbox 360. Microsoft Kinect is a camera that scans you're body, and can play games and navigate the Xbox 360 via body gestures. Dance Central, a dancing rhythm game was the most interesting of the titles shown in this video, however you can see gameplay from games such as Kinect Adventures, Kinectimals, and a Fitness Center game developed by Ubisoft. Personally, I would save that $150 dollars at the moment because their is hardly anything in Kinect's launch lineup that would appeal to a core gamer. Kinect itself seems good at what is does, and the rseponse time is good, but there is no driving force that makes me really want to buy Kinect.

http://www.gamespot.com/shows/now-playing/?event=now_playing_microsoft_kinect20101026

Fallout New Vegas: fixing every bug and glitch

This is so random but this is so funny. I did not write this, this was posted by a gamefaqs/gamespot user named yatola. For reference, Fallout 3 New Vegas was a very buggy game, and concerns have been voiced to Obsideon asking them to fix certain bugs and glitches.

Michael Bay and I are not only the most intelligent minds in Hollywood, but also great programmers. Currently we are more then 80% done working on a new patch to revolutionize the mainstream into buying and playing this game, and to fix everything wrong with it. Check our idea's out

1 - Every single glitch, freeze up, scorpions in the floor, quest characters not being present, will simply turn into an explosion of game-over proportions. You were going to reload your last save anyway, right? Now we can do it for you. These explosions will be epic, constant, and in your face. even when shooting a pistol now, or throwing a knife, there's a 30% chance the enemy will explode. This may lead to you thinking "well I'll just use melee weapons cuz i don't want everything to explode"....however......

1.5 - all melee weapon/unarmed damage will be reduced 85%, all non pyro/explosive weapon damage is reduced by only 30%, but accuracy for all shooting weapons is down 90%. If any character except yourself is wearing a black leather jacket, has prison tattoos, or has his hair gelled back, THEY CANNOT BE SHOT. If they possess all 3 of these characteristics, they cannot be blown up either. You can target them, but the rounds never hit. Also, all pyro/explosive weapon damage is up 250%, and has increased radius of destruction.

2 - 2,200+ characters in the game? They all gotta talk too? We'll fix that, they'll be only 500 ACTUAL characters in the game, and those ones left will only say maybe 20% of their dialogue, which will turn mostly into "What.....I don't know how to show personality...I'm in a michael bay movie....don't make me act...." your goal is to try to get them to man up and FIGHT U, which will be explained later. Macho toughness comes in the form of the other 1,700 characters will turn into ninja zombies, equipped with swords, laser rifles, and eating grenade pins instead of brains. That means if you have grenades on you, they're going to eat the pin off them, so you better throw em quick. They also say witty, Austrian accent battle lines to compensate for the total lack of dialogue, like "YOU WANT SOME OF THIS?!??! COME GET IT....HOUSER!" "WHAT...YOU THINK YOU CAN TAKE ME....HOUSER?!?" "AUSTA LA VISTA...HOUSER!!!" and "...I can't believe it's not butter"

2.5 - Mr Burke returns, except this time he happens to be at every single city you go too, asking you if you want to BLOW IT UP. If you don't carry enough explosives on you to destroy the town, he'll think you're a wuss and BLOWS UP the town with you in it. If you turn him down more then 3 times, he blows YOU UP. if you intentionally avoid him, after your 5th random town/city visit, he will BLOW YOUR PHONE UP. If you avoid towns altogether, after 10 game hours, Mr Burke will BLOW HIMSELF UP, but this causes the game to glitch instantly and you have to restart, (couldn't fix all the bugs, sorry). If you ever tell Burke the dialogue option "...why do you always have to blow something up?" then the PS3/Xbox/PC BLOWS UP Mr Burke now wears a leather jacket, gels his hair back, and has a spider web tat on his neck.

3 - The Casino's gambling is okay....but there isn't enough going on. Now everytime you place a bet, there's a 30% chance you'll offend "the families", and they'll sound out cannibal samurai mutants out to slice you up n' eat you, and throw you in a hole in the desert. The only way to actually kill them, however, is by jumping on a bus and having it go over 50 miles per hour, which loses the mutants but then you'll hear a weird clicking sound, see Sandra Bullock driving the greyhound, Keanu Reeves trying to calm everyone down by saying "DUDES....JUST CHILL...WE'RE NARLY OKAY?!?! WE'RE JUST NARLY!" and hear Dennis Hoppers voice over the radio going "HEY ****FACE!!! WANNA PLAY A GAME?!?!?" Then that red cheeked weird puppet from SAW stands up out of his seat and says "Wow this is so unoriginal, I'm out" and you have to stop him before the bus explodes, or he makes another movie.

4 - the barter/speech skill has been modified greatly. Now instead of being used for intellectual negotiations and making smart decisions, it is now used to be able to provoke anyone into a fight. We put Mother Teresa as an in-game character. With a high enough speech level, you'll be able to ask her "Remember that time we were in Vegas, and I video-taped you drunk off that GHB vodka tonic I gave you, sucking the Devil's **** whiled I was snorting lines of coke off your bible and butt slammin' your sister in the confessional booth with the radio tuned to Marilyn Manson? I don't either, but the tape sold on Ebay pretty well, think after I buy a Lexus and a hooker I'll donate the rest of the profits to Ke$ha" You'll never see an aging pacifist nun pull out an uzi and shoot so fast in your life, we promise.

Fable 3 Review (Xbox 360)

Fable 3 is the latest title of series of games that made a first appearance on the original Xbox console. Despite that creative director of Lionhead studios makes radical and absurd promises about his games, the games turn out quite well-made despite those promises not being fulfilled. Whereas the the last games took place in the Medieval and Renaissance Era (Fable 1 and 2 respectively), this iteration takes place during the industrial revolution, a pleasant site to see for those having played the game before, as Albion has undergone some many changes. You play as a young prince who is descended from the great heroes of Fable 1 and 2. As your brother (who is currently King) starts to show signs of corruption and misguidedness, it's up to you to lead a revolution and overthrow the your brother and ascend to the throne.

This is the age of oppression, and the world "is crying out for a hero". As you try to ascend the throne, you need to make allies and this is made enjoyable by Fable 3's strong cast of characters. Famous actors such as Sean of the Dead's Simon Pegg and Monty Python's John Cleese are involved in the voice work of this game. Being inspired by Monty Python, Fable 3 is a very funny game. You're butler (Jasper) giving funny comments about you're chicken suit to playing a role playing game with a bunch of people robed people for a side quest. Or those blasted gnomes that harass you as you search to shoot them down. This game has great voice work and a great sense of humor (or homour as the English would spell it). Fable 3 has an interesting main storyline you want to see through the end, and some funny and interesting side quests as well. With many other great voice actors, Fable 3 has a world that is memorable for it's charming characters, my favorite which I don't want to spoil but all I will say is that Stefen Fry did a great job.

As Moleneux pointed out in one of the Lionhead development documenteries, the game is moving towards action adventure, but their are still RPG aspects hidden with the game. In addition to the "action adventure feel" the game has been simplified. There are two main parts of the game, one is when you play as a revolutionary overthrowing your brother and making friends and allies, and the other portion of the game is when you play as a king and you make some difficult decisions. All Fable games are about choice, but one of the things about Fable 3 is that their is a bit of a gray zone, and not one choice is clearly good or clearly evil, and this becomes apparent in you're kingly duties. As you'll find out, being the king of Albion is actually much harder than it sounds.

Fable 3 is a world with history behind it, as I have mentioned anyone who has played Fable 1 and 2 will be pleased to see how the land of Albion has underwent its transformation. The graphics in Fable 2 remain only slightly improved, however there was a noticeable improvement to shadow's and lighting, which looks beautiful as you're walking throw the ugly sewers and you see the light reveal you're shadow on the water. We can tell however, that the Xbox 360 is showing it's age and this is also obvious in games like Halo Reach and Gears of War. The graphics though unimproved, don't really detract from the game at all. Fable 3 still retains it's cartoonish like art style, but gone is the character's aging, halo, or devil horns. It used to be that in the older games that you're characters looks reflected his or her morality, but you only see that reflect in a hero's weapon as it drips with blood or glows with light. You do the math on determining what type of character has a glowing sword.

As far as action goes. The game still maintains its 3 button combat, where you use the "X" button for melee attacks and blocking, the "Y" button for shooting you're firearm and aiming, and the "B" button for using and charging up magical abilities. The combat is very simple, and it's fun melee, magic, and ranged attacks together. However the combat doesn't do much to stand out. It's extremely hard to die and you would have to be doing it on purpose or in one of the later segments. I actually got an achievement for not "getting knocked down" on my first playthrough. Fable 3, like Fable 2, should be tougher or at least have a difficulty selection.

Fable 3 underwent a make over in its menu and inventory system. Gone are the cumbersome menu's in exchange for the sanctuary. The sanctuary is basically your "pause button". Every time you hit start, you get transfered to the sanctuary (which is maintained by your butler). In the sanctuary is a map where you can navigate the world and fast travel to certain locations, a weapons room, a clothing room, and a room where you can join random Xbox live games. While many people will not like the ommission of the menu system, I actually prefer it, given the simplicity and the fact that I simply don't like sorting through useless junk. For others however, this new simplified "menu" that is the sanctuary may seem unnecessary.

Fable 3 does have numerous bugs, glitches, and other issues. Sometimes the d-pad won't let you use certain items from your inventory. There was one game breaking bug where I couldn't exit the sanctuary, and reloading my saves didn't solve that problem. In fact you can only have one save file and you're game automatically saves for you. This is extremely annoying especially at the end when you play as a King and the abrupt ending almost hits you in the face and you can't go back. However you only notice this in the city of Bowerstone, because for some reason all of the other territories that were featured in Fable 1 and 2 were oddly omitted. As a result, their are hardly many places to explore. Fable 3 hardly has many environments to explore, and also another issue with the game is that it's very short. Even with a good portion of side quests it should take you a very short time to blow through the main storyline. Sure you can get married or browse the stores, but personally I don't play video games to have virtual marriages. Just saying.

While Fable 3 has an interesting story, great actors, and a great universe, it simply felt unfinished. Numerous bugs and technical flaws hold the game back from greatness and the game suffers from being extremely short. The king portion of the game ended too abruptly and the game there wasn't much added to the overall experience of Fable. Playing Fable 2, I noticed that there were hardly improvements made to Fable 3 besides the flashy new menu system. There weren't any new enemies, so all that leaves is the improvement of co-op. However, Fable 3 still has an interesting world, and it still managed to pull me in, but I felt like the game needed an extra 6 months for fixing bugs and expanding the life of the game.

Fable 3 gets a 7/10, which means its a good game. I loved the universe, i loved the characters, but this game feels unfinished. The story also has a couple of major plot holes that nagged at me in the end, but I can't tell you anything without spoiling it. It's a good game, but the game is untapped in its potential. It is really unfortunate that this game didn't recieve a longer development time, it almost feels that Microsoft tried to rush this game out.

Starcraft 2 Balancing and Custom Maps Blizzcon Interview

Starcraft 2 is one of the best real time strategy games to date, and it has an amazing development team behind it. This game was played competitively in South Korea, and for good reason. It's a game that is balanced, has varied tactics, and it is well structured and organized. Check out this video to see how Blizzard will keep supporting this superb game.



http://www.gametrailers.com/video/blizzcon-10-starcraft-ii/706700

Dragon Age 2 Rise to Power Trailer

Check out the latest trailer on Dragon Age 2, a bioware RPG within a gritty fantasy universe. Dragon Age 2 puts you into the boots of the "Champion of Kirkwall" known as Hawke. The story begins with the fall of the small town Lothering as it decomes overrun with demon-like Darkspawn. This game takes place over a ten years of Hawke's life and his efforts to combat the darkspawn threat. Playing the first Dragon Age, I am very excited for this sequel and it looks like their are making improvements to the combat and fluidity of the action this time around.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITz7j8x8Xik&feature=sub

Fallout: New Vegas Review

I found myself at a crossroads, as I examined my potential allies and enemies. One road is Caesar's Legion, another road is Mr. House, and the last road leads to the NCR. Which path will I take, or will I forge my own path? That is what Fallout New Vegas is all about, as you interact, help, fight, and betray all of the multiple factions and groups within this wasteland. Unlike Fallout 3, the world is rising from the ashes. No longer are small cities and bands of raiders trying to scavenge what they can. New Vegas is post-post apocalyptic setting. And this is perhaps what I personally love about New Vegas. The player can create the future in his own way, and it's the desire to keep moving forward with the story that keeps the player going. Do you want to NCR to reestablish democracy, or do we need the Caesar's Legion to establish a more tyrannical form of government? Or should you help Mr. House, a man who wants spread is power across the Mojave desert? The choice is yours, and the Fallout series has always been a game about choice.

Fallout New Vegas opens when you're character gets shot because he was carrying a very valuable package. A few days later, you are dug up and you set out to find out who shot you and why. That's much of a weak incentive you will get, but as you dig deeper into this mystery that's when things start to get interesting. What was this package that was taken from this courier what does it mean for the rest of the Mojave Wasteland. One can simply look at Fallout New Vegas as a tale of revenge, but that is a very boring way of looking at it. This is not about the couriers personal story, but rather about the big picture. In a way, it's not the character's personal story that pulls you in, it's the worlds story. There are so many tribes that each have their own reason for their own actions, each faction has its own motives. This is not a story, this is an experience. You change the world you choose to change it, you don't follow down a set path. This is the beauty of all Fallout games. The world is you're playground and it has its own unique set of rules.

There are so many things that make you immersed into this world. I don't use the word of immersion lightly, but Fallout games always pull you in its universe. One is the factions, the fact that their is simply an ongoing conflict between multiple factions makes you have to choose how you interact with these factions. There is a reputation system that depicts your standing with all of the factions and groups. The second thing is the improved voice work. While some characters are not spot on, there is so much dialogue and a few interesting characters to boot. Its not that the characters themselves are particularly cool or likable, but every character has their own story and background. They are all at one place or another for a reason. I could go own, with additions like Hardcore mode and the fact that there is so much to do (like gambling!). Fallout New Vegas is one of the most immersive games you'll ever play. But make no mistake, Fallout New Vegas does has it share of problems.

What holds back Fallout New Vegas the most is something that can be avoided fairly easily, bugs and glitches. There are TONS of them, and within the 20 hours I played, I unfortunately had to reload some of my older saves and that is really disappointing. Their are phasing issues, but that is minuscule compared to the quest glitches, and the occasionalcrash that makes you have to start back from a point that's too far for you're liking. So if you're getting this game, SAVE ALOT. The other issue I may highlight is that the game's engine is beginning to show its age. While it allows the player to travel a huge expanse of the wasteland, there are long loading times when entering houses, hitches in frame rate during large battles, and the characters models walk in that same stiff (and awkward) fashion.

While New Vegas seems a little bit unfinished and a little bit dated, this game is still an amazing single player game that anyone who hasn't played any of the Fallout's should play. People who have played Fallout 3 may be a little disappointed to realize that New Vegas doesn't do much to add to the new formula, but if it ain't broke don't fix it. There is already so much to do in New Vegas that the package stands alone beautifully in its own right.

This game gets a 7.5/10, now before you have you're doubts hear me out. My review scores are not like letter grades where a 75% is a C or average. A 7.5 in my book is actually a pretty good game. When I say the game is good....I MEAN IT'S GOOD. Not forgettable. What prevented this game from being great was all of the bugs. But there are oh so many games that can achieve greatness. Games that I rate 9 or above is once or twice a year situation. I recommend that anyone who hasn't played Fallout or really enjoyed Fallout 3 to buy this game. This game has so much content that it cannot warrant a meager rent.

Starcraft 2: Heart of the Swarm Early Concept Video

As a teaser to what is perhaps going to be a new feature of Starcraft 2, here is a short little clip depicting a dangerous new situation for Starcraft 2 players.

http://www.ign.com/videos/2010/10/25/starcraft-ii-heart-of-the-swarm-concept-video

Fable 3 co-op video

A new video depicting to the improvements made to Fable 3's co-op. It's not really needed to watch the video but YES there is couch co-op as well as online co-op where you and you're co-op buddy aren't forced to play within direct proximity.

http://www.shackvideo.com/fable-3-live-co-op-trailer-22314

RDR and Reach DLC Trailers

New trailers for upcoming DLC for Red Dead Redemption and Halo Reach have just been uploaded. The first trailer features the new Noble Map Pack for Halo Reach, and the next trailer is over 3 minutes of Undead Nightmare goodness for Red Dead Redemption. Both trailers are extremely well done, interesting, and action packed. One thing to note about Halo Reach is that new ranks will eventually be available for all Halo multiplayer fans to obtain.

Halo Reach:
http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/haloreach/video/6282931?tag=topslot;img;1

Undead Nightmare:
http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/66165

Bonus Round: CoD Black Ops Part 3

The third part of the bonus round is out. Gametrailers interviews the director, community manager, and game design director of Call of Duty Black Ops. This episode goes behind the design choices of Treyarch as the team explains their key focuses in designing the latest Call of Duty.

http://www.gametrailers.com/episode/bonusround/410?ch=3

Gamespot: Now Playing Fable 3

Gamespot presents the first hour of Fable 3. Obviously since this is the first hour, there will be spoilers. Fable 3 is a continuation of a series of action RPG games in which the hero goes on a typical quest to the land of Albion from a certain crisis. All Fable games take in place in different time lines. The first Fable took place in a medieval period, the second fable took place in a Renaissance period, and the last Fable takes place around the start of the industrial revolution.

http://www.gamespot.com/shows/now-playing/?event=now_playing_fable_iii20101022

BlizzCon: Diablo 3 Demon Hunter Class Reveiled

To kick off Blizzard's convention, they have recently unveiled the new Demon Hunter class for Diablo 3. The Demon Hunter is more technologically sophisticated class in comparison to your typical barbarian or monk. She uses grenades, traps, crossbows, and a variety of powerful crossbow bullets. This is the final class to be revealed.

trailer: http://www.gametrailers.com/video/blizzcon-10-diablo-iii/706569

gameplay: http://www.gametrailers.com/video/demon-hunter-diablo-iii/706576

Call of Duty Black Ops Jungle Map

Just a map reveal for those who want to get excited about Black Ops

http://g4tv.com/videos/49177/Call-of-Duty-Black-Ops---Jungle-Multiplayer-Map-Exclusive/

Red Dead Redemption: Undead Overrun Trailer

In addition to around 6 hours of single player content, Undead Nightmare will also feature an online co-op mode called Undead Overrun, which is basically like Call of Duty's Nazi Zombies. In this mode, you have to survive against never ending waves of Undead until you ultimately perish. Fable 3 and this piece of DLC are coming out next week. If you bought Fallout New Vegas, all I am going to say is "good luck" but you are not going to finish that game by the time next week roles around. So much great stuff is coming out and many people won't have the time to finish it all this holiday season. Life is good!

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/undead-overrun-red-dead/706503

Fable 3 - Call to Action trailer

An action packed trailer featuring commentary from the people who helped create Fable 3. This game hypes the game up to epic proportions, FYI Peter Molynuex who is the creative director for Fable 3 hypes his games massively, so if you take everything he says for word for word, you will be disappointed. Nonetheless if you do not succumb to radical expectations, you still should be excited for this game.

http://www.ign.com/videos/2010/10/20/fable-iii-a-call-to-action-video

More Assassin's Creed Brotherhood Singleplayer

Here is another interview going even into more detail about the Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood singleplayer and how much the game has changed and expanded. Key things to note is that the story mostly takes place in Rome (where as in Assassin's Creed 2 you spent time in Florence, Venice, and the countryside). This can be viewed as good or bad, but Rome is by far one of the most beautiful cities in the world and the Assassin's Creed games had really beautiful environments.

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/the-game-assassins-creed/706319

Fallout New Vegas Developer Diary: The Characters

Now we a new developer diary on the characters and voice actors of Fallout: New Vegas. Remember, the game is coming out tomorrow so get excited!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flwR94WaEvc&feature=sub

Mortal Kombat Scorpion Trailer

I was too young back then to be permitted to play Mortal Kombat, and I am sure I am not the only one. Now we have a chance to relive to glory days of one of the best fighters in recent memory. For those who don't know, Scorpion and Sub-Zero are the iconic characters of Mortal Kombat. Check out this trailer of Scorpion.

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/scorpion-trailer-mortal-kombat/706293

Assassin's Creed 2 Singleplayer Trailer + Overview

This video on Gametrailers.com gives the latest summary on the story of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, which picks up right after Assassin's Creed 2. The reason that it's not called Assassin's Creed 3 is because each Assassin's Creed starts with a new protagonist, whereas this installment reintroduces Ezio Auditore of Florece. I personally like this because Ezio's timeline is very interesting as it's the Renaissance, as is the character of Ezio himself.

Notable and new features include ordering and working with multiple assassins, extra parkour elements, new weapons, and multiplayer.

Trailer: http://www.gametrailers.com/video/single-player-story-assassins-creed/706291
Overview: http://www.gametrailers.com/video/single-player-preview-assassins-creed/706282?type=flv

Kinect will launch w/ 17 titles November

As far as core gamers go, Kinect has a crappy list of launch titles. There is nothing on this list that I saw as appealing. Perhaps the most appealing feature of Kinect is how I can navigate the dashboard with it. That being said, it is $150 (which is 3 times the price a normal Xbox 360 controller is $50, and it comes bundled with a game called Kinect Adventures. I am not going to buy Kinect right off the bat, but I am going to wait for reviews and appealing games that are compatible with Kinect. Hopefully Kinect's control scheme will be used for strategy games, as that is one of the most interesting interesting things I can see happening with Kinect.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6282217.html?tag=latestheadlines%3Btitle%3B1

World of Warcraft Cataclysm Cinamatic Trailer

World of Warcraft is here with a new trailer, I personally don't plan on buying this expansion (even though I bought the previous three). The reason I am doing that is for obvious reasons, WoW demands too much time and if I devote too much time to WoW I develop even less time to other games I can be talking about. This game is a bloggers nightmare, and it can also be any other game journalist's nightmare if they get into it and don't remember about the other games that are coming out. That and I hate grinding for loot and I have been already saddened by the ways they have altered the story for the sake of the MMO.

Generally in MMO's you need an excuse to go to a dungeon and raid a cool boss. They pratically ruined my favorite character, Illidan Stormrage. They're reasoning was that when Illidan returned after getting defeated by Arthas in Northerend, he started to become insane. Insanity is not something that happens after you lose to someone, but apparently Blizzard was looking for a reason to have players kill Illidan. Anyway, WoW is now introducing a new antagonist in its expansion, and that is the badass looking Dragon called Deathwing. Apparently he also connects back to the beginnings of the Warcraft storyline. Here is the cinematic, enjoy!

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/66054

Bonus Round: CoD Black Ops Part 2

Part 2 is now up! This episode features commentaries on the trailers made for black ops by the Treyarch team.

http://www.gametrailers.com/episode/bonusround/410?ch=2

Infamous 2: Mechanics Interview

An interview that goes into detail about new environments in Infamous 2, and how Cole has been reformed.

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/nycc-10-infamous-2/706275

Fallout: New Vegas Gameplay and Commentary

50 Minutes of Fallout New Vegas gameplay...this video contains commentary and shows the exploration Vault 22 and one of the bases of one of the factions.

http://www.liveatbestbuy.com/fallout

Halo Reach; Making of the "Deliver Hope" Trailer and Gamespots final thoughts

An interesting video on the costumes and pieces they used to create one of the best trailers I have ever seen for a video game. Gamespot also spoke with Marcus Lehto, creative director at Bungie, to get some insight into how the development team brought the gameplay, world, and characters of Halo: Reach to life as well as how the team felt about working on Bungie's last Halo game.

http://www.ign.com/videos/2010/10/15/halo-reach-behind-the-scenes-of-deliver-hope-live-action
http://www.gamespot.com/special_feature/reach_finalthoughts/image-feature/index.html?image=1

CoD: Black Ops on GTTV

The episode is finally up! Get 21 minutes of the latest and greatest of Call of Duty Black Ops.

http://www.gametrailers.com/episode/gametrailers-tv/106?ep=106

Fable 3 G4 Interview: The continent of Aurora

I was actually late in realizing this, but apparently Fable 3 also has its story expand into the new continent of Aurora. It will be interesting too see how Aurora will play a role in the story, especially when the hero becomes the new king.

http://g4tv.com/videos/49181/Fable-III-Albion-and-Beyond-Exclusive/?quality=hd#video-49255

An interview about a new shooter coming out next year that will let you kill with style. Learn more about Bulletstorm in this interview!

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/nycc-10-bulletstorm/706181

Call of Duty Black Ops on GTTV

This Thursday night on Spike, GTTV is to be delivering extended coverage on the new Call of Duty game. Anyone who has a remote interest in Black Ops should watch this on Spike or wait until the episode is uploaded on www.gametrailers.com

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/episode-326-gametrailers-tv/705982

Halo Reach: Noble Map Pack announced

Ok now two months is a tad too soon for a map pack...it's almost as if they cut that content from the game. Well whether they did or didn't, it doesn't matter because Halo Reach kicks ass anyway. There is nothing stopping from many people like yourself from buying the new map pack coming this November 30th.

http://xboxlive.ign.com/articles/112/1128027p1.html

Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare

Check out IGN's latest article on the Undead Nightmare DLC for Red Dead Redemption. Unlike the previous DLC installments, Undead Nightmare is a single player add on a few extra multiplayer features. The first two packs, Outlaw's to the End and Liars and Cheats did add some additional content to multiplayer, but it didn't radically change the entire experience. I never bought those two DLC packs, but if anyone is looking for a reason to get back into Red Dead, this is it. I strongly urge everyone to consider this DLC when it comes out October 26.

http://xboxlive.ign.com/articles/112/1127395p1.html

Fallout New Vegas Developer Diary: The Strip

Here is another developer diary talking about one of the most important and interesting areas of Fallout New Vegas. I am actually pretty excited about the Strip because it's where all of the action happens. Like the Imperial City in Oblivion, and actually one of the things I disliked about Fallout 3 didn't have a notable or major area. Megaton was a pretty lame city in Fallout 3, I wouldn't be surprised that some people would choose to blow it up (though I didn't because Megaton was the most useful resource I had).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0u8zCFGZ0o&feature=sub

Medal of Honor Reviews

Two days after Medal of Honor's launch, Medal of Honor has received mixed reviews. I have personally decided I am not going to purchase this game because I don't have enough money. The problem with Medal of Honor is that even though it proves to be a decent game, it won't outsell big budget titles like Call of Duty or Reach if it doesn't immediately surpass them. Battlefield Bad Company had something new to offer in comparison to Modern Warfare. Destructable environments, giant battlefields, and vehicles were what distinguished games like Battlefield to Call of Duty, and that's why I bought that game and I enjoyed its multiplayer much more than I did Modern Warfare 2's. I had hopes for Medal of Honor, but it seems to be the case that it didn't bring much new to the table. Now I know I have hardly any right to speak about this, but I did in fact play the beta, and while I enjoyed it I noticed the same problems that are repeated throughout these reviews. Medal of Honor does not distinguish itself from the competition, it simply gets overshadowed.

http://www.metacritic.com/search/all/Medal+of+Honor/results

IGN Rewind Theatre (COD: Black Ops Singleplayer trailer)

Any Call of Duty fan that wants to know every little detail about the single player may want to go out their way to check this trailer.

http://www.ign.com/videos/2010/10/13/call-of-duty-black-ops-rewind-theater

Star Wars: Force Unleashed 2 Demo Impressions

Force Unleashed 2 is the follow up to a game that has received mixed reviews. Personally I have never played the first Force Unleashed, but I have watched all of the cutscenes on youtube, and I thought that the game had a great story that provided a bridge between Star Wars episode 3 and Star Wars episode 4. Playing the demo, I was already interested in the story about the protagonist Starkiller, and how he *spoiler alert* helped find the rebel alliance in the first game.

The gameplay itself however, is nothing to really write home about. The action is fun, and you feel like a true badass when you combine ridiculous force powers. The games targeting can be a little difficult at times, but there are also little improvements made to the overall gameplay. The only new ability you see in the demo is mind control, but that doesn't really give you as much as a thrill as using the force to throw someone off a ledge. A nice little addition, but that's the only one of few. What I loved about the demo was the awesome but brief free-fall segment and the graphics looked really pretty. The demo takes place on the rainy cloning facility planet of Kamino, and the water reflections and thunderstorms were epic to behold. I couldn't help to draw a connection to the God of War series, after all it's an action adventure game that takes place on a linear path. Unlike RPGs or multiplayer shooters, I can see this game falling under the curse of a "great rental". Meaning that once you play through the 8-10 hour story you pretty much see all the game has to offer. I am not saying that Force Unleashed 2 will be a bad game, but with so many games coming out in the holiday season and a limited budget, there are a lot of people that will likely pass on the Force Unleashed 2. The game doesn't do anything particularly new or amazing, it's just a really solid action adventure game.

Screw Attack: Top 10 Local Multiplayer Games (Console)

A pretty decent list giving out the top 10 games for local multiplayer. While we are now dominated majorly by online gaming and talking/typing to people via the internet, there was a huge appeal with sitting with a bunch of your buddies playing Super Smash Brothers. Check out this video countdown.

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/top-10-screwattack/706037

Fable 3 and Borderlands GOTY Edition Trailers

An awesome new trailer that's bound to intrigue people. Fable 3 is an action RPG that lets you (the hero) lead a revolution against your brother, who is the corrupted king of the country of Albion. The next trailer is Borderlands Game of the Year edition which includes all of the four DLC packs previously released for the game. I have played Borderlands, and while I found the story lacking, it was still a really fun game that you could play co-op online with 3 other people. I recommend that anyone who hasn't played Borderlands before to consider picking this one up (especially if they have friends who plan have their eye on this as well).

Fable 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFimcPwvbC4&feature=sub
Borderlands GOTY Edition: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44J83itG780&feature=channel

IGN: Duke Nukem Forever is now

While Duke Nukem will never live up the the ridiculous hype, there is still something to be said. I never actually played the first Duke Nukem forever game, and Duke Nukem is arguably one of the greatest video game heroes of all time. Duke Nukem is the Arnold Schwartznegger of video games, no even more than that. If you ever watch gameplay footage of Duke Nukem forever, you will see why this guy is such a big deal. For us "unenlightened" gamers, we will finally be able to experience Duke Nukem.

http://pc.ign.com/articles/112/1127070p1.html

The new perks of New Vegas

Fallout: New Vegas is a post apocalyptic roleplaying game with first person shooter attributes thrown into the list. In addition to leveling up your character, you can get an access to a variety of perks that add a little bit of spice to your character. Gamespot has published an article about the latest perks on Fallout New Vegas.

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/falloutnewvegas/news.html?sid=6281442&mode=previews&tag=topslot;img;1

Invisible Walls Podcast Episode 128

Check out the latest invisible walls podcast. Discussions include the Assassin's Creed 2 and Dead Space 2 beta, as well as a discussion what the is the future of multiplayer gaming.

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/episode-128-invisible-walls/705875

Assassin's Creed Brotherhood Multiplayer Preview

Now get the latest update on the type of new multiplayer that awaits Assassin's Creed. After seeing this I worry that the multiplayer will be sluggishly executed, but if it's successful than I would be overjoyed to have a great multiplayer game in my game library that is a non-shooter.

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/multiplayer-preview-assassins-creed/705876

GTTV Bonus Round: Call of Duty Black Ops

GTTV is having a special Bonus Round episode where they go straight to the developers of Call of Duty Blackops and talk about the design philosophy and the challenges the Treyarch team had to face. A few weeks later, you will see more revealed information and developer commentaries on the trailers. Something to keep you Call of Duty fans busy.

http://www.gametrailers.com/episode/bonusround/410?ch=1

Final Fantasy 13 Versus and Agito Trailer

This trailer showcases some of the gameplay from the 2010 Tokyo gameshow. I absolutely loved the trailer for Final Fantasy 13 Versus. Final Fantasy 13 Versus has been one of the games that went under darkness even though it was announced alongside Final Fantasy 13. Unlike previous Final Fantasy games, Versus is supposed to be more darker and moody than the other Final Fantasy iterations.

Check it out!

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/tgs-10-final-fantasy/705843

Gears of War 2 Multiplayer Interview

As you may have seen in my previous post, Gears of War 3 has been delayed for the sake being the representing force of the Xbox 360 at Holiday 2011. This is actually more like developer diary than a multiplayer interview, but nonetheless it's on gamespot and I recommend you to check it out. Did I mention that yo ucan beat someone to death with their own arm in this game? Yeah, their own arm...awesome!

http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/gearsofwar3/video/6281064/?hd=1&tag=topslot;watchlink;1

Killzone 3 Public Beta October 25

Killzone 2 had solid multiplayer, but there wasn't much about it that distinguished it from shooters like Call of Duty. That and Killzone 2 had a control scheme that I could never get used to, and there are those like me that will agree. PS3 owners, get ready to gear up and test out the brand Killzone 3 multiplayer this October!

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/112/1126395p1.html

Force Unleashed 2: Soul of the Force trailer

A solid looking action game. I have never played the first Force Unleashed, but I have watched all of the cutscenes on youtube. This game does have a great storyline. I bet that this will be a very good rental when it comes out the 26th of this October.

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/soul-of-the-force/705778

Gears of War 3 Multiplayer Coverage

with Gears of War 3 delayed (ONCE AGAIN!) to Holiday 2011, Epic will be devoting this time to putting up a multiplayer beta. I think this is absolutely what Gears of War 3 needs because both Gears of War 1 and 2 had extremely buggy and unbalanced multiplayer. That, and Gears of War 1 & 2 are complete shotgun fests. This may be fun for some people, but personally I had a gripe with all of the shotguns that were involved. Yes I did suck at Gears of War online, very much. That does not change the fact however, that I am extremely exited about the fact that Gears 3 is having a multiplayer beta. Make sure to check out all of these very interesting articles from Shacknews to get more details. Any Gears fan should check these articles out.

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/65911
http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/65912
http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/65913

Fallout: New Vegas and a rant

Check out the latest developer diary on the new factions you will be interacting with in Fallout: New Vegas. Personally I am very excited about this because neither faction is particularly good or evil (as the developer diary highlights).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kf-GUhc6Wco&feature=sub

And while I am on this topic I would like to talk about my problem with video games having a moral meter (and why I am excited about the way Fallout: New Vegas is dealing with this pet-peeve I have with most roleplaying games.

One of the main problems with most role-playing games is that there is generally an element of good OR evil, and actually that's a huge pet-peeve I have developed with RPGs recently. In Mass Effect 2 there was a moral system called Paragon/Renegade, but it pretty much parallel's with good and evil. You can either be a nice person, or you can be a dick. Yes there were actions you could do that were neutral on the moral scale, but you needed to raise your paragon score so you could raise you're "charm" level to talk your way out of certain situations. It would eventually serve in the player's best interest to play a Paragon character because you needed that high charm score to avoid otherwise bad situations within the game.

Likewise with Fable 3, I didn't play an evil character because it didn’t serve in my best interest to be evil. Sure you could get a little extra cash from murdering someone, but why don’t I just buy houses and rent them out, and use that rent money to buy even more houses and rent them out? Sure I could have raised the rent and gotten evil points, but the concept of raising rent and getting more money seemed completely defiant of the concept of supply and demand. People don’t raise their rent prices in real life because they’re evil! They do it because it serves in their best interest! People always want something, I liked it when after I escaped the Spire in Fable 2 (after spending 10 in-game years there), that the Temple of Light that I protected earlier expanded its influence and was accompanied by surrounding structures. The Temple of Light that I protected long ago became prosperous, and I get good points, and apparently the temple of shadows was decimated. I went against the Temple of Shadows because they were a bunch of idiots that killed people for no reason; I didn’t do it because I am a good person! Let’s be honest here, why would you fight against the crazy Temple of Shadows? Would you say “because it’s the right thing to do”? I would say I went against the Temple of Shadows because that organization didn’t serve in the best interest of Albion (the country in which Fable takes place). If my decisions in Fable 2 did have an impact in Fable 3, how can I diplomatically engage with other countries if the Temple of Shadows is my central religion? If my religion specifically specializes in sacrificing people for treasure, then other countries would want nothing to do with me. That’s my outlook on the situation anyway, and you may have a different outlook. This is great because that’s what a role-playing game should be meant to accommodate.

This is why games like Fallout and Dragon Age truly represent what a role-playing game is. A game where you get to make the decisions that you would truly make, and not every decision is black and white. Think about it! In games like Grand Theft Auto we still people’s cars because it serves in our best interest. There is seldom punishment for stealing a car in GTA because the likely hood of getting caught and getting 1 star wanted level (which deteriorates fairly easily). In Dragon Age Origins I aim am nice to my companions. Why? Because it serves in my best interest to have my companions on my side. It’s not because I am good or evil, I am choosing the choices that I believe are best suited for each situation.

Some of you may be shocked or mortified by my amoral outlook on how a role-playing game should be, but can people truly judge what is good and what is evil? The Fable games and Mass Effect games do that to some extent. They tell you what is right and what is wrong. In games like Dragon Age only you’re companions tell you what is right and what is wrong. And that’s the truth right there, your companions and the people you react with judge your morality. And if your companions likes you’re morality then you have done a good job having people trust you.

In the end, what I am saying is that the game shouldn’t judge you’re morality, it should just let you make the decisions you want to make. Games shouldn’t give you a black or white choice; they should just simply give you choices. It’s the people in the game world itself that should truly judge your choices and decide whatever you do is good or evil, justice or injustice, right or wrong.