Five new titles coming to Xbox Live.
Keeping with tradition, Microsoft has announced their titles for the Summer of Arcade promotion. Microsoft’s Phil Spencer gave a list of the five titles that will be hitting XBLA this summer.
We don't like to use the "D" word around these parts.
With Diablo III exploding onto the world and making headlines for everything from its high sales numbers to its controversial internet connection requirements, it seems as if Blizzard’s new monster is set to dominate the gaming landscape for some time to come. If you’ve read my review you know that I’m rather fond of that game. Perhaps you’re still not impressed. Perhaps you yearn for a game less streamlined that plays more like the Diablo of yore. That’s the exact sentiment that Runic Games is banking on with Torchlight II--a love letter to Diablo II in a post-Diablo III world. But let’s just not talk about Diablo for now, shall we?
I didn’t even know The House of the Dead 4 Special was a thing that existed.
Despite the rest of The House of the Dead series making its way to consoles, The House of the Dead 4 has been left in the arcades – and perhaps rightfully so. With the introduction of the machine gun as the standard weapon, the once requisite precision aiming for this light gun series has been all but removed. That’s not to say that there’s no challenge or fun to be had with the latest arcade iteration of the series, but the experience pales in comparison to earlier editions.
The two previously Wii exclusive titles are coming to the PS3.
Game Informer is reporting that Capcom today unveiled the release window for Resident Evil: Chronicles HD Collection. The collection of the two Wii light gun shooters will be released this June on the PlayStation Network and individually at a later date.
Available now for the PC.
Calling back to genres near forgotten, Birds of Steel seeks to soar.
The video game industry, much like any entertainment provider, has gone through many different trends and phases. Genres spike in popularity and then peter down, sometimes even fading into obscurity and out of the communities conscious. There was a time when flight sims were all the rage, now most retailers would look at you funny if you asked their opinion on which flight stick you should buy. At times an arcade-style flight game like Ace Combat rears its head to remind the masses that the genre still exists, but we all know that the pure sim has been relegated to niche for quite some time. Just don’t tell Konami that.
This isn't the way you extend the life of an RPG with DLC.
Final Fantasy XIII-2 is the first game in the series to feature downloadable content, and the Lightning/Amodar battle is the very first piece of content to be released. While it’s great to see Square Enix taking steps into a new space, it’s clear that they need to do a little more research before the next DLC comes out.
Final Fantasy takes a journey into the future of the franchise, but hits some potholes on the way.
Final Fantasy XIII-2 had a lot to make up for, being the follow-up to one of the most divisive games in the beloved RPG series. For a franchise that was built on every iteration being wildly different from the last, Final Fantasy XIII perhaps changed a little bit too much in removing many of the core elements that the series—and JRPGs in general—are known for. While that game took over 5 years to develop and was met with confusion and in some cases rage, Final Fantasy XIII-2 is a game that went from announcement to release in about a year. Is it possible that a game so rushed could hope to right the perceived wrongs of its predecessor? The short answer is “yes”, but there’s a pretty big “but…” to go along with it.
If you beat her, you can have her.
Final Fantasy XIII-2 has finally been released here in North America, but Japan got a DLC release instead, as the game has been available in that region for some time now. Due in North America on February 7, 2012, the upcoming DLC will let players fight against Final Fantasy XIII protagonist Lightning, accompanied by Lt. Amoda. If you defeat her, she will join your party.
The previous FF XIII leading lady will only be playable through DLC.
According to an article posted at Andriasang, Final Fantasy XIII’s previous heroine, Lightning, can be acquired as a playable character in the upcoming sequel, provided you purchase the DLC.
