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0  Why Japanese Developers Need New IPs Part 2 Thu, Sep 2nd, 2010, 9:54 pm (EST) BY ADAM MA Last time we covered what exactly is wrong in the mainstream Japanese gaming industry. The oversaturation of RPGs, longstanding titles that change very little, and of course the terrible attempts at reaching Western consumers certainly don't help much. There's really no reason for these developers (or publishers) to be so afraid of moving their products overseas, in fact there are a lot of great reasons to do so. The market is not only ready for Japan to take the lead again, they're almost begging for it. How do I figure? Allow me to explain. More »

0  GamesCom: From Dust Impressions Wed, Sep 1st, 2010, 10:32 am (EST) BY DARRYL From Dust was announced a few months ago as the next game from legendary French game designer Eric Chahi, the man behind Another World and Heart of Darkness. He claims that the game will be the spiritual success to the Populous franchise, and on first glance, it's very easy to see why. More »

	0  Ubisoft's Outland To Be Revealed At PAX Tue, Aug 31st, 2010, 1:32 am (EST) BY COLIN Ubisoft have announced that they'll be showcasing Outland, a PSN and XBLA title at PAX this week along with their other big boy titles like Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, HAWX 2 and everybody's favourite, Your Shape: Fitness Evolved. More »

0  Shank Review Mon, Aug 30th, 2010, 4:23 pm (EST) BY DARRYL Have you got the afternoon free, but you're just so sick of playing Modern Warfare online/hunting bears in Red Dead/scanning planets in Mass Effect? Well then Shank is a great little snack of a game; it won't take you long to complete but it's filled with fun gameplay and a well presented story to boot. The question you've got to ask yourself is its 3-4 hour length worth your $15/£10, especially if you haven't got someone to play the (local only) co-op with. More »

1  Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light Review Sun, Aug 29th, 2010, 9:22 am (EST) BY DARRYL Before the gameplay even begins, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is already trying to change perceptions; it's the first game in the series' history to drop the Tomb Raider tag. It doesn't stop there either, as it's also the first Tomb Raider title to appear in the downloadable space and it's also an isometric platforming game. There is an element of risk in quite a lot of what the game has done, but risk can often lead to reward and that's certainly the case here. More »

	2  Sluggish Performance Plagues Shank On Xbox 360 Fri, Aug 27th, 2010, 2:59 pm (EST) BY COLIN Shank is out on both PSN and XBLA. It's probably one of the most violently addicting side-scrolling action games to release in a long time. Don't be fooled by the cartoony visuals, the blood and gore speak otherwise. More »

0  New Blacklight: Tango Down Patch Addresses Consumer Concerns Fri, Aug 27th, 2010, 9:44 am (EST) BY DARRYL UTVIgnition Entertainment have announced that they will today be releasing a patch for the Xbox Live Arcade and PC versions of Blacklight: Tango Down. More »

0  Castlevania: Harmony of Despair Review Thu, Aug 26th, 2010, 9:12 am (EST) BY DARRYL Castlevania: Harmony of Despair (HoD) takes a slightly different approach however, adding multiplayer into the mix as well as fixed level time limits. The basic rundown of HoD is to work through the game's six chapters that each contain a maze of rooms leading up to a boss that needs to be defeated. There are two main ways that the game can be played, each with their own problems that are very hard to ignore. Single player usually consists of playing each chapter up until the boss, who will in turn destroy the player and force them to try again. Multiplayer however is the opposite, whereas single player is too hard in some respects, Multiplayer is simply too easy. More »

1  DeathSpank Sequel Out Next Month Mon, Aug 23rd, 2010, 5:31 pm (EST) BY COLIN DeathSpank, a crude and hilarious tale of the epic misadventures of self-proclaimed hero of the same name, was only released last month and now Hothead Games have announced that the sequel is incoming...next month. More »

4  Top Ten Development Studios Right Now Thu, Aug 19th, 2010, 10:43 pm (EST) BY JORDAN DOUGLAS Games have always been behind other creative mediums - such as film, music, and literature - when it comes to making consumption choices based on the team behind a product, as opposed to its franchise tag or brand. That being said, the "hardcore", enthusiast crowd has always had a deep appreciation and sense of loyalty toward the select group of studios that continually produce quality. Thankfully, that trend is slowly beginning to penetrate mainstream gaming. With that in mind, we decided to compile a list of the top development studios at the present moment - studios that generate a great deal of anticipation behind their endeavors, and are an influential force in the industry. This list is specifically directed towards individual teams, not publishers (i.e. Nintendo) or multiple teams that produce games under a common label (i.e. Ubisoft Montreal). More »

	0  New Downloadable Game Announced By Suda51 Wed, Aug 18th, 2010, 8:46 pm (EST) BY COLIN Suda 51, or Goichi Suda, the brilliant genius behind No More Heroes, has announced a brand new game for both PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade. The game is the first of many collaborative titles between Suda's team and Digital Reality. More »

	0  THQ Reveal Red Faction Battlegrounds As New PSN/XBLA Title Mon, Aug 16th, 2010, 7:28 am (EST) BY DARRYL THQ Digital have revealed that the previously untitled downloadable title from the Red Faction universe will in fact be called Red Faction: Battlegrounds. More »

0  Monday Night Combat Review Sun, Aug 15th, 2010, 11:00 am (EST) BY DARRYL The loading screen for Monday Night Combat consists of a smiling strip of bacon that's high fiving a cheerful shotgun shell. Where their hands meet, there is a lens flare, signifying their union as one of natural power. If this alone doesn't describe how awesome Monday Night Combat is, I'm not really sure what else will. I mention the loading screen because it's a sign of how hard Uber Games has worked on this title. The bacon-shotgun union logo is just a small glimpse into the many things that make Monday Night Combat fun, unique, and genuinely worth purchasing. Fortunately for this review, the rest of those things are gameplay related. More »

0  Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - Release Trailer Wed, Aug 11th, 2010, 7:59 am (EST) BY DARRYL There's been much said about the Scott Pilgrim vs The World universe. There's a comic, there's a film and of course, there's a video game - which is suitably stylised. More »

	3  Square Enix Reveal GamesCom 2010 Line-Up Tue, Aug 10th, 2010, 12:10 pm (EST) BY DARRYL Square Enix have announced the games that they will be showing publically at this year's GamesCom, which takes place from the 18th of August to the 22nd. More »

	0  Microsoft Promises A Bunch Of Announcements At Gamescom Mon, Aug 9th, 2010, 2:23 pm (EST) BY COLIN Gamescom is just around the corner and it looks like Sony and EA aren't the only ones holding a press event at the European games convention. According to VG247, Microsoft has already sent out invites for their press event, which will take place on the same day as Sony's. More »

0  Hydro Thunder Hurricane Review Wed, Aug 4th, 2010, 8:10 pm (EST) BY DARRYL Hydro Thunder Hurricane is the resurrection of an old racing franchise, probably best known for its arcade and Sega Dreamcast iterations in the 90s. After the game's publisher Midway went bankrupt, Microsoft bought the franchise license, deciding to bring Hydro Thunder to Xbox Live Arcade. The end result is Hydro Thunder Hurricane, a high definition sequel that stays very close to its aquatic racing roots. Hurricane's strengths lie in its unique water mechanics, numerous multiplayer options, and collective unlock system. One notable drawback is the generally bland presentation, which consists of dull, flat textures and an instantly forgettable soundtrack. Overall, Hydro Thunder Hurricane is an enjoyable arcade racing experience. More »

0  Monday Night Combat Preview Mon, Aug 2nd, 2010, 9:43 pm (EST) BY ADAM To address the biggest concern anyone would have about this game, I'll come right out and say it.  This isn't a Team Fortress 2 clone. There's no way it could be, even though there are a lot of things that look the same. It has classes that have unique abilities, squad oriented fighting, and cartoonish graphics. It's understandable how most would look at the game at face value and misinterpret what's going on here. What's going to make Monday Night Combat so much fun - and so very unique - is how those similar aspects are put into play. More »

1  Limbo Review Sat, Jul 31st, 2010, 9:38 pm (EST) BY DARRYL Limbo, from independent Danish developer Playdead, is a unique puzzle platformer for Xbox Live Arcade. The game's use of a simplistic, black and white art style, and ambient sound design help create a surprisingly eerie, bleak atmosphere that compels the player to move forward. Coupled with a mysterious premise that largely lets you draw your own conclusions, the world of Limbo is never a dull one. Unfortunately, some of the magic fades by the end, mainly because the emphasis shifts to pure puzzle solving as opposed to the atmosphere. That being said, Limbo's puzzles are by no means a weak point. They are filled with incredible variety - you'll never see the same mechanic rehashed. Overall, Limbo is a great package. More »

0  Star Hammer Tactics Review Fri, Jul 30th, 2010, 4:40 pm (EST) BY DARRYL The library of games offered by the PlayStation Minis service is ever increasing and the latest title to be added, Star Hammer Tactics, is from Black Lab Games. It's a turn-based strategy title where players are equipped with a fleet in order to fight off an alien race thus preventing the extinction of the human race. Not only that, but they are tasked with finding out exactly where they appeared from. More »