I wasn’t kidding when I described the gameplay above. That’s the bulk of the experience. You get missions to do from job boards in towns and settlements, or from talking to certain people scattered across the expansive game world. When you finish a mission, you return to wherever you earned it and pick up a reward, in the form of items, experience and money. You can take on as many quests as you want at a time, and can complete as many as you want before you ever return to claim your prize, so you don’t need to run back and forth constantly. These missions do fall into a somewhat small set of categories though–kill this thug, kill this beast, collect these items, kill this guy and collect these items, etc. You don’t really mind though, because each kill means experience, and experience means leveling, and that is the metaphorical crack pipe upon which addiction to this game relies.

Even within the first area of the game, there are certain sections you are not going to want to visit until you have sufficiently leveled. You may find some of these places in your random travels though, and when you do, you could very well be killed, and fast. You want to be very close to your enemy’s levels when you engage them, so the missions become important so you can always stay ahead of the curve, or at least with it.

Plus, you get more stuff. There’s a never ending supply of stuff for you to pick up. Some of it is better than your current stuff, much of it is worse, but it can all be sold so you can buy even better stuff. Certain characters use certain gun types better than others, meaning that when you play multiplayer, stuff should be shared for more reasons than just fairness.

The single and multiplayer experiences are similar in many ways. You still run around completing missions, leveling up and collecting loot, but now you get to do it with a buddy (or a stranger, but that’s not as much fun, especially in a game where picking up items is so pivotal). If you play with someone over Xbox Live, whoever hosts the game is going to be the one whose story is played, meaning you can replay missions you may have already completed in order to boost your character’s levels further. You can also keep multiple characters saved to your hard drive at once, meaning you can play online with a friend using one of the four character classes while playing alone on your own time with another. All of the items, experience and money you acquire in multiplayer carries over to your single-player experience, so even if you have to replay certain sections later, at least you will be well armed.

Each class is, at the simplest level, different thanks to their special skill. The Soldier drops a shielded turret, the Hunter has a war hawk that can attack far off enemies or those behind cover, the Siren can turn invisible and invincible for short periods of time, letting out a wave of energy when the shift occurs, and the Berserker, which, as you may have guessed, excels at being a damage absorbing tank that can punish enemies with melee.

There is more to the class differences than that though, as you earn skill points that can be used to differentiate them further. There are three separate paths to take, and you don’t need to stay within a single one–you can also cash in all of your skill points and re-align yourself however you wish, for a small cash fee. Let’s use the Hunter as an example. One path has him becoming more of a pistol wielding gunslinger, while another has him becoming more of a sniper. If you take the Sniper path, you will earn bonuses through skill points for things like experience bonuses on critical kills, faster reload times on rifles, or shield penetrating bullets. If you take the gunslinger route, you can get some similar bonuses, but also some very revolver/pistol exclusive ones, like chance to fire two rounds with one press of the trigger on pistols. You can customize them into all three groups and get an all-purpose blend, or you can focus heavily on one section–each time you upgrade a skill five times, it opens up the next level of skills for that designation. Shield penetrating bullets don’t come for the Sniper until you’ve used at least 15 skill points on Sniper related skill, which means 15 levels (20, really, as you don’t earn any skill points your first few levels) in a game with 50 tops. As I said though, you can get them back for a cost, so don’t fret if you change your mind 15 hours in.

That’s not to say anyone can’t play and enjoy being a virtual DJ here. The game caters to all skill levels, but to really get the most out of the mix table peripheral, you’ll need to master the higher skill settings. Regardless of which difficulty level, DJ Hero is amazingly fun.  Almost 100 mix tracks come with the game and it’s the first music game since Dance Dance Revolution to especially appeal to the techno crowd. The mixes cover the musical spectrum though—plenty of rap, hip hop, Motown, and pop from the last 30 years. But the magic is how the game mixes two tracks together to create something new.

Nowhere else could you hear Marvin Gaye crossed with the Gorillaz, the Beastie Boys and Queen, the Killers vs. Rihanna, David Bowie and 50 Cent, and an impressive and entertaining number of other great mixes. It’s not a stretch to say that this eclectic, dance-centric line-up is the best yet for a Hero game and it makes the color-coded button pressing gameplay feel more distinctive than ever.

The mix table controller is a cool new addition to any gamer’s stash. The main focus is on the turntable, which both spins and has three colored buttons. On the medium difficulty level and below, this is all you’ll really need, and the game plays just like any of the Hero/Rock Band games. Color-coded circles stream down three trails on the screen and the object is to hit the appropriate button at exactly the right time. At times, you’ll have to spin the turntable up or down based on the onscreen cues. The concept is simple, the execution is fun, and the presentation is bright, colorful, and quirky.

Once you get comfortable with the basic gameplay and switch to a higher level, the crossfader becomes a major part of the game. This slider bar is at home in the center, but at times, you’ll have to slide it right and left in time with the music trail, while keeping pace with the button presses and spins. The crossfade bar adds an interesting level of challenge in general, and adds some great variation to the music. On the downside, it can be a bit unruly. Despite have a bit of feedback, when the game is in high gear, paying attention to the current position of the bar without having to actually look at it can be frustrating.

There’s little in the way of onscreen prompts to keep track of the slider’s position as well, making the learning curve a bit steeper than it could have been. Another feature that is great in concept, but still in need of some work is the overlap with Guitar Hero. Some of the tracks allow for a guitarist, yet few of them felt particularly optimized for this feature. Usually the guitar tracks end up being painfully repetitive. Still, it’s a nice bonus feature that could use improvement in the sequel.

The overall presentation is much like other music game, with the moving gameplay tracks taking up most of the screen acreage, and stylized graphics of your on-stage DJ, the crowd, dancers—all reacting to how well you’re doing. The pumping soundtrack is especially awesome for home theater-equipped systems, but as expected, it sounds great in general.

Blast Factor: Without a doubt, DJ Hero is the most distinctive and original music game on the market. While the game is enjoyable for all skill levels, it takes on a whole new level coordination for the hardcore crowd. The packed soundtrack is phenomenal and mix table controller is responsive and fun to use. The  main problem for DJ Hero is the steep asking price. $119 is a lot to spend on one game with only a single controller. If you don’t mind the cover charge though, this is the coolest virtual rave in town.

Another Take — Bradley Ouellette

Activision’s latest Music game is an interesting new twist. They have taken the well-known style of the Guitar Hero franchise, and instead of playing a guitar, the player spins a record, and acts like a DJ mixing tunes. The Music in the game always consists of two pieces that the player has to mix together, fading between the two pieces and adding other effects including scratching, freestyling, and cross fading.

The game plays similar to any other Guitar Hero style game, moving the cross fader to select the track, scratching, or pressing the buttons to cause different effects to the music. When the player gets all of a lit up section correct the game gives a charge to the Euphoria button–this is the same as star power.

The scoring in DJ Hero feels different than the scoring in Guitar Hero also. The multipliers earned from rows of correct notes is very important since if you don’t hit 4x multiplier for a while in the game, you pretty much can’t score more than 3 stars. So hitting an extra note that isn’t there can kill your rating. Also if the player gets enough notes correct in a row, there is a rewind button that will show up in the display. This looks like the regular rewind button on a remote. When that’s on the screen, spinning the turntable back one full turn will rewind the song, and let the player replay a section to increase their score. This can be especially fun, if in Emode, when there is a bunch of cross fading back and forth, since it will allow the player to get a huge score with little effort. That being said, the rewind mode can also kill the score, since while it rewinds it’s easy to mess up a note and lose the multiplier.

Over all, I loved the game. I thought it was a neat new twist in the music genre; whereas the guitar band games haven’t had as much innovation lately, this was completely new. I found that game played smoothly, except for the cross fader. Even with the issues of the cross fader, loved the game, and will highly
recommend it if you generally like music games.

DJ Hero is available on the Wii, Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3, and retails for $119.99. A copy of the game was given to us by the publisher for reviewing purposes.

“We are very proud of the phenomenal launch of Dragon Age: Origins and we’re pleased to announce the next installment of downloadable content that will be available to fans of the game,” said Ray Muzyka, Group General Manager, RPG/MMO Group of EA, and Co-Founder, BioWare. “The Return to Ostagar DLC pack is a prime example of BioWare’s commitment to give fans a game that continuously offers new experiences and further enriches a storyline that has already received critical acclaim and positive feedback from the players.”

The first two packs of DLC were solid additions to Dragon Age–you picked up some exclusive items and abilities, and also got a chance to earn some more experience for your party, something that’s definitely useful on harder difficulties. I won’t turn my nose up at more of DLC, especially at a $4.99 price point. It gives me an excuse to go in with both of my characters too, especially since they play and act so differently. There’s no set date yet, but it’s releasing this holiday–somewhat vague, but at least we know it’s soon.

This is very clearly a tribute to Zelda by From Software, the company that brought us what is potentially 2009’s best RPG in Demon’s Souls. Sure, there are other titles that this game is pulling from, but even the imagery in this trailer reeks of Zelda–I’m not complaining though, because if you’re going to find your inspiration in gaming’s past, you may as aim as high as you can.

On the heels of Microsoft’s 2009 Fall Dashboard update, which also brought the ole’ Fbook to Xbox gamers, Sony said this move is “the first phase of a variety of new features to further connect and enhance the online social experiences of PlayStation®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system owner.”

Download the new firmware and let us know what you think about stalking keeping track of spying on staying connected with your friends now on your TV via your PS3.

Source: Joystiq

The first thing you will notice after popping A Crack in Time into your PS3 is the graphics–this is highly polished, very colorful, very creative stuff. During cutscenes, it looks and sounds like a cartoon, maybe even something Pixar would have made. During the actual gameplay, the physics, explosions, guns and the worlds you play on will also impress, as the game is loaded with graphical effects (heat coming off of lava, snow and rain falling from the sky, etc.) that really pop thanks to the PS3. Enemies animate wonderfully, while living and while dying, everything just flat out works. It’s one of the better looking titles on the system thanks to strong art direction and wonderful animation.

Gameplay wise, there’s plenty to love. With Ratchet, you have multiple modes with which to play. The first of these is somewhat standard to the series, as you have different levels on different planets, each with its own distinct look and feel. These planets have a fair share of shooting along with platforming–while the platforming in these areas never gets to be too difficult, the number of enemies (and the difficulty of said enemies) increases as you go through the game enough that you don’t get bored. If you’re playing this game on Hard, you will need to be on top of your game in the later levels, or you will die fast.

The second Ratchet mode reminds me of two different Mario experiences–Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Galaxy. When you land on the moons that are scattered throughout each solar system, you have the opportunity to collect more mods for your weapons, rare items and Zoni–all of which will be explained in detail later. These moons is where you will find the platforming challenge, as they are designed to be more skill-based than the planets themselves. The Sunshine reminder comes from their increased difficulty and variation from the standard gameplay–remember the hidden stages in Super Mario Sunshine, where you no longer had the water pack and had to do things the old fashioned way? The Galaxy portion comes from the spherical levels–yes, I know Ratchet & Clank have had spherical levels before, but the design reminds me of Galaxy in many ways. While optional, these are worth your time, and not just for the rewards that they hold. Completing them is a reward on its own, given the increased challenge and lengthening of the gameplay experience.

Last, and very much least, you have space. You fly around in your ship from planet to planet (with pit stops at moons along the way), but there are side missions for you to complete that are sometimes worth it, like towing a downed ship in order to get a few thousand bolts (the game’s currency). Most of the time though, you can’t be bothered. There is very boring fighting in space, as you just hold R1 and L1 to fire beams and missiles in the hopes of hitting something and getting back to the good stuff. The enemy ships don’t do much to fight back either, and they don’t do a very good job of getting out of the way of your shots; it just wasn’t necessary. Maybe space will evolve into a worthwhile frontier in another Ratchet & Clank game, but A Crack in Time is not the one where this happens. Thankfully this is the portion of the game you will spend the least amount of time on, especially if you just quick jump from place to place.

Besides Ratchet’s ever-present Omniwrench, which is both weapon and tool, you have a massive arsenal of guns at your disposal. You’ve got your basic laser gun, grenades, a rocket launcher, a shotgun, and then you’ve got the guns that let Insomniac show off their imagination. How about the equivalent of a space pig with a trigger that burps enemies to death? Or a chargeable ball of electricity that you can roll around effectively using Six Axis controls while you run from danger? Maybe a sniper rifle with a bioscope that marks enemy weak points for you–shooting stuff in the head isn’t always the answer, you know. There are tons of guns to choose from, and also plenty of ways to improve them. You can pick up Constructo Mods, which alter the way your weapon fires, whether it explodes on impact or not, the type of damage it will cause, etc. You can also level up your weapons by using them–this increases damage, rate of fire, area of effect, ammo capacity and the like. Once a weapon reaches level five, it morphs into an even more powerful version of the previous weapon. Your grenades get schrapnel, for instance, while your rocket launcher fires three rockets per round rather than one.

The strange thing is that I would find myself moving on to another gun despite creating a super powered one, because I wanted to see what else it had to offer me through use. There’s nothing that can be pointed at as useless in Ratchet’s arsenal–you will find a place for everything, even in the weapons that may seem odd at the point of sale.

Clank’s levels may be the best portion of the game though, as they are time-bending puzzles that will require you to take off that Lombax battle armor and instead use that robotic intellect. It’s somewhat tough to visualize, but here is Clank’s gameplay in a nutshell: you have puzzles where Clank needs to be in multiple places at once in order to open the door out of the room. There could be anywhere from one to three door opening switches in the room, plus additional switches that open up pathways to reach those door switches. Each of these switches works only when Clank is standing on them though, which is why he needs to be in multiple places at once.

In order to do this, you need to use the Timepads to record Clank stepping on the switch–after recording, you can play it back, and a copy of Clank will perform the action you just recorded while Clank goes off to a different time pad to record yet another instance of platforming. Early puzzles are simple–there’s one switch and two Timepads, so make a copy to get on the switch while you run through the door. The later ones though require a lot of trial and error in order to progress, as you will need to make copies that open up pathways that lead to switches that lead to new pathways for previous copies so that they can step on a switch that clears a path, and so on. These are very satisfying to complete, and are just the right level of difficulty where you want to keep trying at it without wanting to throw your controller elsewhere. My biggest issue with them is that there were just not enough of them–Ratchet is still the star, despite Clank’s superior gameplay. That’s not a knock on Ratchet either, but it goes to show you how fun Clank’s sections are.

When you combine the multiple Ratchet elements with Clank’s puzzling, you end up with a fine Ratchet & Clank game that makes you want to play often. The game features multiple difficulties as well as a challenge mode, and with loads to collect in the form of Contructo Mods, gold bolts and the Zoni that upgrade your ship’s weaponry and abilities, there’s plenty to do outside of the standard levels. The Argonian tournaments may be my favorite part though, as they throw you into some ridiculous gladiator challenges that will require a full knowledge of your weaponry and enemy weaknesses if you want to win. The rewards–bolts, weapons and upgrades–are worth the price of admission, but you’ll find yourself here just for the challenge too. Plus, the game is just funny, no matter which character you use, so it’s worth it to you to extend the game to find all of the humor in it.

Blast Factor: While there are still some things to iron out in the form of space, and Clank could have stood to get a little more spotlight, Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time holds up as the definitive Ratchet & Clank experience, one that should delight fans of the series while also converting holdouts and making them believers. It’s a quality title that should not be overlooked in this busy holiday season, and despite its cartoon appearance, it’s a game that people of all ages can enjoy.

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time is available exclusively on the Playstation 3, and retails for $59.99. A copy of this game was given to us by the publisher for reviewing purposes.

“With Battlefield: Bad Company 2 we�re looking to raise the bar across all aspects of our multiplayer experience, setting a new standard for online play,� says Patrick Bach, Senior Producer on Battlefield: Bad Company 2. �From the graphics to the vehicles, weapons and destruction, we are delivering the best online multiplayer game next year, and we want gamers to experience it themselves by playing the beta and demo.”

If you were thinking about getting the game anyways, I suggest you plop the $5 down for the reserve in order to secure the code, as I haven’t been able to pull myself away from the demo whenever I see it at a convention or press event. DICE looks like they may have a winning multiplayer component on their hands–dare I say–one that is more intriguing than Modern Warfare 2. See for yourself in a few weeks when the demo hits–you’ll be able to compare apples to apples for free.

For those of you sans PS3, don’t worry, as demos will hit the PC and Xbox 360 in the future. This is just a timed-exclusive demo for PS3 owners.

After seeing release on the PC and the Xbox Live Arcade, Braid comes to the PSN in North America Nov. 12, followed by a “later date” for European markets.

Braid has a truly unique hand-drawn art style, an interesting game mechanic in controlling time, and now mass appreciation, sadly, it’s on my shame list of games I’ve yet to play.

Anyway, head on over to the game’s official page for more information on anything you can imagine, except rabid wildebeests.

Dragon Age: Origins takes place in Ferelden, a land that is suffering at the hands of the Darkspawn. The Darkspawn were created by mages that sought to step foot in the Golden City of heaven; they became twisted, hideous creatures that stole men and women from their homes, killing and burning everywhere they went in their attempt to rid the world of all races. They were held back by the dwarves, since they made their home in the underground, but eventually the Grey Wardens, a force of knights, mages, rogues and anyone else that can wield a weapon that was made up of all races, helped push the Darkspawn back, ending the Blight. They failed to kill the Archdemon though, and now the Darkspawn and a potential Blight loom once again on Ferelden–this is where you find yourself at the start of the game.

Well, once you go through your origin story anyways. While many games, especially in the genre that Dragon Age is in, allow you to create your character, make them male or female and whatever race you would like, be it elf, dwarf, or human, none allows you the kind of backstory and full-on immersion of Dragon Age. There is a backstory for each character class–the human noble, the city elf, the forest elf, the mage, the two types of dwarf, one casteless, the other not. For the magi, you can pick either human or elf as well, and any of these characters can be male or female. The origin story gives your character a true backstory, making them a part of Ferelden and the Dragon Age universe, rather than just giving you some character you created with a stock history that never changes.

Each of these origin quests is a few hours long, and the game will treat you differently depending on what you pick. I won’t spoil anything for you, but here are some generalizations: as a human noble, you will have a score to settle later in the game that originated early on, but if you happened to pick an Elven mage, you can face the same scenario later without that emotional, personal element to it. On the other hand, you will have your own prejudices to deal with as not just a mage, but as an elf, as they are looked down upon in a racist manner in Ferelden, so it’s not like you miss out by picking one over the other. It just means that to experience all that Dragon Age has to offer, you will have to test out these different angles. Hell, if you don’t want to play through the entire game again, at worst you picked up another 12-15 hours of gameplay just so you can learn all of the different backgrounds playing through the origins, expanding on the world that BioWare has created.

It’s quite the world, too. It’s deep beyond belief, especially for an original property and the first in what may turn out to be a franchise. The characters–good, bad, and everything in between–are believable. There are no mustache twirling villains in Ferelden, tying innocent girls to railroad tracks–these are people with legitimate beliefs and ideas, and you may agree with them, you may not. Also, even those you think are pure and pious may have a hidden history that you can uncover, should you choose to do so–it’s certainly not a world focusing just on the black and white. You will pick up many documents, books and notes along the way, each of which will be added to your Codex. The Codex is a collection of those aforementioned items, plus information on enemies, friends, foes, towns, kings, history, the Wardens, the magi–you name it, it is in the codex. You could, no exaggeration, spend hours reading everything that the Codex holds. You get the impression that Dragon Age wanted to create this believable world with a full history, much like Tolkien and his Lord of the Rings novels and expanded works. They very much succeed, and in many ways that I don’t want to spoil here. Just know that if you’ve got a love for fantasy, you will adore the world created by BioWare.

An online, 3D, turn-based title, “Tactics” will make good use of the strategy skills you’ve amassed in your storied Magic multiverse history.

�The growing Magic: The Gathering community has an insatiable desire for great strategic game experiences. �Sony Online Entertainment is the perfect partner to transform the best of Magic�s story, strategy and competitive play into a fantastic �Tactics� game experience for current and new Magic fans,� said Greg Leeds, president, Wizards of the Coast.

Tactics will allow gamers to enjoy a robust single-player experience, PVP action 24 hours a day online, and, according to the press release will also feature “regular content expansions, a robust tournament environment, an achievement and rankings program, and original stories of the Planeswalkers of Magic: The Gathering.”

Magic: The Gathering Tactics is scheduled for an early 2010 release for PS3 and PC. No mention of price was made, but stick to Blast for continued coverage.

The collection includes remastered versions of God of War I and II in full-on HD on Blu-Ray disc, and releases midway through November, a week after Modern Warfare 2, and a week before Thanksgiving and the official start to the Holiday 2009 shopping season. Joy.

If you haven’t played either title, these remastered versions are the best you’re going to get, and the box looks like it would fit quite well in say, a stocking! Waking up to Kratos, what a morning that’d be!

And along with the release date announcement, Sony listed every last Trophy to be had in the twofer. Have a look.

GOD OF WAR

Bronze

1.21 Gigawatts – Acquire Poseidon’s Rage
Rocking Out – Acquire Medusa’s Gaze
Bolt Action – Acquire Zeus’ Fury
Sword Man – Acquire Blade of Artemis
Soul Search – Acquire Army of Hades
Matador – Win the first Minotaur fight
Scape Goat – Win the first Satyr fight
Roll Over … and Die – Win the first Cerberus fight
Don’t They Ever Shut Up! – Defeat the Desert Sirens
Beat a Dead Horse – Complete the Centaur sacrifice to Hades
Kickboxer – Complete the Spike Room Box Puzzle
Rockin’ the Boat – Complete the Sex Mini-Game
Don’t Leave Her Hanging – Rescue the Oracle with 10 seconds to spare
Get the Ball Rolling – Complete the Challenge of Atlas
Totally Baked – Complete the Human sacrifice
Splash – Kiss the Nyad
Get Me a Beer Kid – Free yourself from the depths of Hades
Zero Health = Bronze Trophy – Open a Health Chest when your health meter is already full
Hitman – Get a 100 Hits Combo
Getting My Ass Kicked – Die enough times to get offered Easy Mode

Silver

Kratos’ Marble Collection – Collect all the Gorgon Eyes
Stick it in Your Cap! – Collect all the Phoenix Feathers
It’s the HUGE One – Retrieve the Captain’s Key
Take the Bull by the Horns – Defeat Pandora’s Guardian
God Killer – Kill Ares
Head Hunter – Obtain the head of the Architect’s wife
The Power to Kill a God – Retrieve Pandora’s Box
Hitman 2 – Get a 200 Hits Combo
Legend of the Twins – Watch the ‘Birth of the Beast’ Treasure
Seeing Red – Max out all Weapons and Magic

Gold

Prepare to be a God – Beat the Game on any Difficulty
You Got the Touch! – Climb the Spiked Column in Hades without taking damage
I’ll Take the Physical Challenge – Complete the Challenge of the Gods
Speed of Jason McDonald – Beat the game in under 5 hours on any Difficulty
Key to Success – Collect all of the Muse Keys

Platinum

Trophy of Zeus – Unlock all God of War Trophies

GOD OF WAR II

Bronze

Breaking Wind – Acquire Typhon’s Bane
Big, Tuff, Buff and Rough – Acquire Rage of the Titans
Blue Balls – Acquire Cronos’ Rage
Shiner – Acquire the Golden Fleece
Rock their World – Acquire the Head of Euryale
Learning to Fly – Acquire the Icarus Wings
Shaky Ground – Acquire Atlas Quake
Death from Above 2009 – Defeat the Dark Rider for the first time
Resurrection – Climb from the pit of Hades
Rock Hard – Defeat the Titan Minotaur inside Atlas
Pick’n on the Little Guy – Win the battle outside of the Palace of the Fates
Watcha Got on the Hot Plate? – Solve the riddle of the Fire Phoenix Statue
Whip it Good – Whip the Steeds of Time
Lift with Your Knees – Topple the Temple in the Bog of the Forgotten
Swinger – Cross the collapsing Grapple Bridge
Stoner – Stone and Shatter 30 Enemies
Super Sized – Get a 500 Hits Combo
Hitting Your Stride – Power up any item

Silver

Eye Can’t Believe it – Collect all the Gorgon Eyes
Go Make a Pillow! – Collect all the Phoenix Feathers
Eye Sore – Collect 20 Cyclops Eyes
Boss Batch 1 – Kill the Colossus of Rhodes, the Dark Rider, and Theseus
Boss Batch 2 – Kill the Barbarian King, Euryale, and Perseus
Boss Batch 3 – Kill the Kraken and all three Sisters of Fate
Daddy Issues – Defeat Zeus
Rise and SHINE – Awaken the Phoenix
Spread ‘Em – Open the wings of the Temple of the Fates
Shine King – Open the door to the Temple of Euryale
Blowin’ Your Wad – Max out all Weapons and Magic

Gold

The End Begins – Beat the Game on any Difficulty
Feel the Urn – Collect and use at least 2 Urns of Power
Bleeding Thumbs – Beat the Challenge of the Titans
15 Min Fight Scene – Battle your way to the Loom Chamber in under 10 minutes
You Know the Germans Make Good Stuff… – Collect all Uber Chests

Platinum

Trophy of Gaia – Unlock all God of War II Trophies

Source: PlayStation Blog

Beginning next month, at no additional cost, PS3-owning Netflix subscribers can bask in the glory of the same streaming access Xbox 360 owners have been enjoying for quite some time now.

“As instantly watching movies and TV episodes streamed from Netflix becomes an increasingly popular way to enjoy the Netflix service, our goal is to rapidly expand the devices that stream to our members,” said Netflix CEO and co-founder Reed Hastings. “As a leading game console and Blu-ray disc player, bringing Netflix to the PS3 system is a real win for both Netflix members and PS3 system owners.”

Initially, PS3 owners wanting to watch Netflix on their systems will have to send away for a Blu-Ray disc, and according to Netflix the disc “leverages Blu-ray’s BD-Live technology to access the Internet and activate the Netflix user interface on the PS3 system, which must be online via Wi-Fi or Ethernet.”

But in the future we’d hope Sony would release some sort of firmware update removing the need for the disc, but until then, we’ll take it! Get your hands on one of the discs today at the PS3 Netflix page.

And no direct word was mentioned concerning the functionality of the service on PS3, only that it’ll allow users to navigate through their “Watch Instantly” queue, a la the Xbox 360 version.

I wonder how Microsoft is taking this loss of exclusivity. Alone in a room crying? What do you think?

Anyway, don’t let my horribly corny jokes dissuade you from checking out Van Halen’s edition of Guitar Hero.  It offers much more depth than you’d expect from an installment of Guitar Hero that is more of a side project, and it totally shames the Rock Band offering of The Beatles, at least in this humble reviewer’s opinion.  While it clearly isn’t as polished or as much of a value as Guitar Hero 5, if you love Van Halen or need more Guitar Hero fun, it is a clear “must buy” for you.

As you can imagine from the premise of the title, Guitar Hero: Van Halen focuses primarily on the band.  Almost every significant single is included, from the pure arena rock nature of “Jump” to the… uh, other arena rock songs, like “Hot For Teacher” and “Jamie’s Crying.”  Happily though, some deeper tracks are included, such as the ultimate shredding song, “Eruption,” which is as ridiculously difficult as you would expect.

A note right up front about the song selection – The game only features songs and avatars of the current  lineup of Van Halen.  Given the band’s notoriously challenged relationship with past contributors, this probably isn’t shocking to most of you reading that actually enjoy Van Halen.  Almost every David Lee Roth song of significance is included in the 25 Van Halen tracks, and the avatars are of Roth, Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen and Wolfgang Van Halen.

When it comes to the other 19 tracks, they were picked out by the 18-year-old Wolfgang, the son of Eddie, and it shows.  Weezer, Foo Fighters, Blink-182, Jimmy Eat World and Fountains of Wayne are artists you would normally associate more with modern rock, but I’d argue that they have more in common with Van Halen than, say, Twisted Sister, or some other hair band from Van Halen’s era.  Case in point – While era contemporary The Clash have a song on the game, “Safe European Home” is more gritty punk than the refined, arena rock sound of Van Halen.

The difficulty of Guitar Hero: Van Halen is definitely a tick up from the most recent rhythm game releases, Guitar Hero 5 and Rock Band: The Beatles.  Then again, that is probably to be expected with the tracks featured.  The guitar and bass portions feature lots and lots of notes, especially if you’re trying to segue from The Beatles, who feature fairly simple transitions and chords.

However, while the game is incredible at its core goal – Roth-era Van Halen excellence – it doesn’t incorporate some of the features from Guitar Hero 5.  I suspect that development on this game began far before the completion of Guitar Hero 5, which might explain why some of the new tweaks weren’t incorporated.  (It might also explain why there is a Foo Fighters song present, even though Dave Grohl got pissed that his former band mate was a playable character in Guitar Hero 5.)  For example, there is no drop-in play, and while you can chose or create an avatar to play as, you can’t swap out other members of the band.  On the plus side, the crowd sings along during certain choruses.

One other sticking point is the price – $50 for the Wii edition.  Eech.  For practically the same amount, Guitar Hero 5 is a much better bargain, since it provides almost double the amount of songs: 85 to 45.  Although Guitar Hero: Van Halen was a throw-in for purchasing Guitar Hero 5 early and features half the songs, this is not reflected in the price at all.

Blast Factor: Your enjoyment of this game though, as with any of these band-specific rhythm games, hinges on your enjoyment of the track list.  I love Van Halen, so I loved this game.  If you love Van Halen, the higher price tag will probably not dissuade.  In addition, if you love modern rock and alternative, this is definitely the best track list next to Guitar Hero: Modern Hits for the Nintendo DS.

Guitar Hero: Van Halen is available on the Wii, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 systems, at a cost of $49.99 and $59.99 respectively. This review concerns the Wii version. A copy of this game was redeemed via the Guitar Hero 5 offer for review purposes; the official retail version is not available until December 22.

The developer today revealed that Dragon Age: Origins, the hotly anticipated role-playing-game will arrive two weeks early on PS3 and will launch the same day as its PC and Xbox 360 counterparts.

BioWare’s Ray Muzyka also spoke about the European Dragon Age PS3 release, but only said that the company is “still working” on it, and that BioWare will “have an announcement on that shortly – still planned for some time a bit later in November.”

But really, why wait for something you can almost sort play right now?

Source: Kotaku

Oghren – a dwarf from the Warrior Caste. His wife, Branka, revolutionized the dwarf smelting process and was given the honorable title of Paragon, ensuring their place among the history of their ancestors. But Branka and her followers have vanished, leaving Oghren behind. Oghren is determined to find his wife and the reasons for her sudden departure and defection from the dwarves.

This profile paints a very interesting picture of what to expect for the game, so if you haven’t already, check out the Dragon Age: Origins website and pre-order your copy today! It’s available for PC, Xbox 360 and the PS3.

Let’s start with the shiny and fun stuff: Uncharted 2 has the most impressive graphics I’ve ever seen on a console game. If that sounds like hyperbole, then you haven’t seen Uncharted 2 in action, so quit your whining and go find out for yourself before you contradict me. Animations are fluid and realistic. The environments, which were part of what drew people to the original game in the first place, are brighter, colorful, and just feel alive. There are parts of this game that approach photo realistic, and the cutscenes use the in-game engine (Naughty Dog Engine 2.0, an upgraded version) to tell the game’s story–the seamless transitions between cutscenes and in-game events is impressive, to say the least.

The music in the game is wonderful in its ambient nature, rising and falling at all of the right times to increase tension and keep you focused on the game world. Sound effects are satisfying to hear–explosions, gun fire, the chatter of Nathan Drake as he rolls away from grenades or pops a guy in the head with a shot. Most wonderful is the voice acting though–the writing and acting are of such high quality that the game is almost as entertaining to watch as it is to play. Nathan is a lovable lead, but the supporting cast is just as entertaining–old favorites in Sully and Elena return, along with newbies like Harry Flynn and Chloe, two characters who have a history with Nate that are with you through various means throughout the adventure.

The story is well done (just like in the first game) so even if you begin to tire of shooting from behind cover at your enemies, you will want to keep playing to hear that next line or see the tale unfold. I won’t spoil a thing for you, but the game begins in the midst of the action, with Drake falling out of a train car that’s suspending from a snowy mountain. Flashbacks bring you into the past, and you play your way right back to the scene after a significant number of hours. It’s a neat mechanic that is not seen very often in games, and it worked to great effect here as you re-lived the events of Drake’s life leading up to his being half-dead in the snow.

Uncharted 2’s gameplay is split into three distinct sections: platforming, puzzles, and shooting. The puzzles in this sequel are improved from the first–they aren’t as painfully obvious, and you now get to flip through a few pages of your journal at a time in order to figure out just where Nate has seen this puzzle before. They are still simple though, but enjoyable to solve. The platforming is the more significant part of the gameplay, as you will spend a huge chunk of your time in Uncharted 2 climbing, jumping, and trying your best not to look down. Climbing isn’t as easy as it was in say, inFAMOUS, where you automatically latch on to everything, but that’s because there are more specific paths for Drake and company in this game than in that one starring a super powered protagonist. Climbing is satisfying, and sometimes finding the right path is a puzzle unto itself–a more challenging one than the actual puzzles at times. There’s a hint system in place if you take too long, and you can press up on the D-pad when notified one is available to see it. It’s helpful, especially your first time through the game, as it just points you in the right direction without actively telling you what needs to be done.

You’ll spend more time shooting than anything in Uncharted 2, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. Luckily, the controls are tighter, and for this reason you’ll have much more fun blasting away mercenaries than you did in the original. For one, grenades are now thrown by holding L2 to create a throwing arc, and then releasing it to toss your grenade. Need a quick explosion? Naughty Dog’s got you covered there too, as you can now blind fire a grenade using your reticule as a quick and dirty guide; hold L1 and press L2 to fire your grenades this way. I use this more often than the more accurate system, just because there isn’t always time to setup a grenade lob. Plus, it’s a hand grenade, and almost counts here; you don’t need to be spot on with each one to do damage.

This occurrence marks the first time in the PS3’s history that it’s beat out direct competitors Wii and Xbox 360, in the United States.

No one managed to topple the Nintendo DS however. The Nintendo portable continued its now 6  month streak atop the leaderboard with an impressive 500,000+ units sold in the August 30-October 3 tracking time frame.

• Nintendo DS – 524,200
• PlayStation 3 – 491,800
• Wii – 462,800
• Xbox 360 – 352,600
• PSP – 190,400
• PlayStation 2 – 146,000

Here’s what NPD Group Anita Frazier had to say about the new stats.

“All three console manufacturers enjoyed the impact of lower prices on unit sales as the PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360 realized an increase over August of 87%, 33%, and 31% respectively, on an average sales per week basis (keeping in mind September was a 5-week month compared to 4-weeks in August).”

“Compared to last September, the PS3 was the big winner, more than doubling last year’s sales,” Frazier notes, pointing to last September’s less than impressive fifth place finish for the PlayStation 3. “This portrays a very strong consumer reaction to the price decrease as August and September both realized a lift of more than 70% over the prior month.”

Well, I bought a PS3 in that time frame so the figure would have only been 491,799 if it wasn’t for me!

Source: Kotaku

“We’re thrilled at the level of interest and acclaim gamers are showing for Demon’s Souls, one of the best reviewed games of the year and one of the highest-rated role-playing games of all time,” stated Aram Jabbari, Manager of PR and Sales for Atlus.  “We’re working quickly to get more copies of the game out onto store shelves.  We thank fans for supporting a daring, innovative product, and we ask interested gamers to be patient as stock is replenished.”

Additionally, the Deluxe Edition of the game, with its 160 page guide book, is now considered out of print and will not be manufactured any longer. We hope you got yourself a copy!

We loved Demon’s Souls. In fact, our edition, Marc, said “Brutal, old-school elements mixed with modern day technology makes for one of the PS3’s best.” Read the full, written review, right over here.

This is a fantasy RPG, but you are not some kind of powered-up super soldier that swings a sword larger than they are to cleave through any foe. Nor are you some kind of dexterous, agile creature that can run and jump without tiring, avoiding the blows of the enemies around you. You’re a regular person with regular weapons and you can (and will) bleed. And you will die. You think that giant axe looks awesome? You’re probably only strong enough to swing it if you use two hands, which means you can’t use a shield. No problem, right? You’re sure to cut through anything in your path with it. Well, assuming you can swing it often anyways—which you can’t, given its heft and the energy required to swing it once. You power up as you play (more on that later) but you can’t just start off as a force to be reckoned with. You have to earn that through the lessons the game attempts to impart on you, but this learning process is part of what should draw you into the world of Demon’s Souls to begin with.

Here’s the story in non-spoiler form: you’ve come to Boletaria to either save the world from the demons or use their power for your own ends, but either way some demons are going to pay. You can pick from a variety of classes, all with their own strengths, weaknesses and strategies for playing. Want to overpower your foes? Become a knight, fully decked out in an armor suit. Maybe you want a bit more movement—become a soldier with lighter plate armor, but less strength and protection. Maybe you want to attack from a distance with a bow (Hunter) or spells—that last category has multiple options all its own. You have to approach each situation differently depending on your class, but there’s no wrong answer. You just have to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each class—they will become apparent to you soon enough—as you progress through the game, or else there will be no progression for you.

You attack with your primary weapon using R1, and utilize strong attacks with R2. You can equip a secondary weapon on the same hand if you want a sword/spear combination or something like that, and in your other hand you can carry a shield or another weapon, like a crossbow, bow or wand for magic. You run by holding down the Circle button, and you can also roll and take a quick step back using the Circle and a direction on the left stick. Items are used with the Square button, and your on-hand items are rotated using down on the directional pad. The controls are easy to use once you get used to where everything is.

Just like many of today’s RPGs, you have to deal with inventory and equip weight; too much on hand means you won’t be able to show off your agile rolling and running effectively, so be mindful of this. Unlike many of today’s RPGs, there is no pause button, so you can’t just hit pause and equip a more powerful weapon or heal yourself while a bad guy tries to lop your head off. Always be prepared is right up there with any other personal rule you can come up with for surviving Demon’s Souls.

Due out November 3, the new hunk of plastic is exactly the same as the 120 GB model Sony released in September, just with a larger hard drive.

Sony also announced that over 600 million pieces of digital content have been downloaded from the PlayStation Network to date, so you all must want a larger drive, right?

The extra space however comes at a premium. This new model will run you $350 instead of $299, but with so many games, movies/TV shows, music, photos and PlayStation Network downloads to get after, and only a finite amount of space for them, a larger hard drive is something to consider.

Full story at PlayStation.Blog

For any readers heading over to California, be sure to go to the Irwindale Speedway on Saturday (Oct 17), since there will be a Need for Speed booth at the Formula D Round 7 Championship. Pro drift racers will compete to see who can post the best lap in the Royal Purple Need for Speed Shift Time Attack Challenge, so be sure to check them out. If you want to read our review of Need for Speed Shift, check it out here.

Let me first address the graphics. Shift has great graphics and the driving is very smooth. The arenas are very realistic and the colors and ads placed on the side of the track are very well designed. Overall, the graphics are first rate and definitely enhance the experience. The graphics themselves are on par with Gran Turismo, and I’m very pleased by the amount of visual detail that went into making this game.

As I mentioned before, Shift is VERY different from previous Need for Speed titles, since there is no real story. You’re just a racer going around racing. The simplicity of abandoning the premise actually elevates the game. There are still cut scenes, but they are usually before the round begins and show other racers driving around. As you play, you earn money to buy more upgrades and new cars so that you can continue racing. There are 72 cars to unlock, which means hours of repeated game play–though that is far fewer than its competitor, something to note. As you race around the track arrows mark the path you need to travel to earn precision points. As you earn precision points, you can also brutalize the other drivers by ramming into them and knocking them off the road, earning yourself some aggression points in the process. The game’s Driver Profile tracks the player’s evolution as a driver from one event to another through Career and Online Play. As you improve and unlock more and more cars and upgrades, you start to experience the Total Customization system. Shift allows you to totally customize almost every aspect of the car so that you are in full control. Choose your car and bring it to the track to see how it does against your opponents.

There are numerous modes to play in when you start the game: Driver Duel, Manufacture Races, Series, Endurance, Race, Drift, Time Attack, Hot Lap and Lap/Time Eliminator. These various modes are similar but change the game play enough so that the game doesn’t get boring. As you win more and more rounds, you collect some badges which help with your stats and highlight your achievement levels. This makes adds an arcade like aspect to the game which is one of the few places where the original Need for Speed Series shines through.

When you race, you can play from a third person perspective or play from the first person. The first person view from the car’s cockpit is one of the highlights of the game. The developers put a lot of detail into the cockpit experience and it definitely pays off. Crashing into a barrier causes the screen to go grey and blur as you, and the in game driver, breathe in sharply. The stress on remaining realistic is noticeable, especially when crashing into another car. When you crash into your opponent you leave scraps and paint on the other car, and the frame becomes proportionally more damaged as you progress. When you drive at high speeds, the car speeds up to an extremely realistic manner which, at times, can be quite the shock. Even though you’re using a controller and not a wheel, you’ll certainly think you’re really driving the car. Another strong point is the soundtrack. We’ve known the track list for a month or so, but they way it is used in the game are very effective. The soundtrack is going to keep players entertained throughout their replays.

While the game itself is almost a love letter to simulation racing, there are certain areas which stood out as somewhat underdeveloped. I was disappointed to find that there was solely an online multiplayer mode and that I would not be able to go head-to-head with my friends on the same console. While this removes split screen problems, it also means that the only way you’re going head-to-head with a friend is if you’re online. When you are speeding down the track at high speeds, the controls can become a bit insensitive, especially when used in conjunction with the direction arrows on the track. When speeding, it becomes hard to judge turns, so you need to be aware that the controller won’t respond as quickly. That, in conjunction with the Auto correct feature, can be a hassle when you’re trying to win a level but the controls lock up and you’re not going as fast as you want to because the directional arrows indicate you should slow down. That will leave you fairly frustrated when you miss first place by a hair because of it. When you’re happy, this game can be the greatest game in the world, but it can definitely sour if the controls get in your way. And after a while, the announcer gets a bit annoying since his monotonous British accent is the equivalent of Michael Sheen saying the same thing over and over again until it gets ridiculous. The emphasis on drifting can also get annoying, but overall the game is solid.

This game is easily one of the best racing games I’ve ever played but it also calls into question the future of Need for Speed. Will they continue to make arcade based Need for Speed after Nitro comes out on Wii this month? Or will they continue making simulation racers along the lines of Shift? It’s a very interesting question which will probably be answered over the next few months.

Blast Factor: This is a great racing game. There are a few flaws, but the attention to detail and the racing experience all negate the few problems you’ll have with it. As a complete about-face from previous entries, this game stands up to Gran Turismo and Forza and definitely holds its own. It doesn’t have as many cars and tracks but the gaming experience will keep you coming back for more.

This version of Need for Speed: Shift appears on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, and retails for $59.99. A copy of this game was given to us by the publisher for review purposes.

The first was spotted on Russia’s EA site (though it’s since vanished) and the second on an Australian retailer’s page. The former seems more believable than the latter, but we’re ready to believe.

BioWare previously failed to confirm or deny a PS3 version of the game, so if they aren’t making it, why not just say so?

Sources: RPG Site, VG247, Kotaku

The game’s coming out January 12 on Xbox 360, PS3 and PSP, so mark your calendars and start saving up! Comment below with you thoughts on the score sample and video.

The 2 job listings ask for a Senior PS3 Programmer and a Lead Art Director to work on a role-playing-game for the PlayStation 3.

38 Studios already has some serious in-house talent. Spawn creator Todd McFarlane, author R.A. Salvatore, Everquest desginer Travis McGeathy and a few other Oblivion developers are at Schilling’s disposal. You know, if they don’t do what he says, he can just whip out his bloody sock and say “see what I went through!”

[update, as reported by Kotaku] These listings are for 38’s newly acquired subsidiary Big Huge Games. They are working on transforming the Ken Rolston-led rpg — formerly Ascendant — into a single-player console role-playing-game set in the same universe as the Project Copernicus MMO for the PC. In short, the console versions seem to take place in the same universe as the PC version.

Source: Kotaku

The original has been kicking around for well over a year, so you may know the basics, but for the uninitiated, here goes. Sonia, a CIA agent dressed like a dominatrix and stacked like a porn star, is looking for Rya Hayabusa, and she’s kidnapped in front of him by the Dragon Clan’s nemesis, the Black Spider Ninja Clan. You eventually catch up to Sonia and get her to spill the beans about the crisis facing the world, but not fast enough to stop them from putting the plan into motion. Because of this, you have to take down the Greater Fiends and all of the ninjas, demons and giant puppet statues they employ along the way as you attempt to stop the awakening of the Arch Fiend.

As Ryu, you are trained in the use of a variety of weapons, most of which, while different in their use, find the same result: enemy dismemberment. Dismembered enemies (excepting those missing their heads, of course) will attempt to commit explosive suicide on top of Ryu, so you need to be mindful of them. Battles, no matter which weapon you wield, are fast-paced and frantic, and you need to be on your toes and blocking in order to survive the larger onslaughts. Thankfully, the camera, which was such a massive drawback in Ninja Gaiden II, has been fixed most of the way thanks to a camera reset that puts the view in the direction Ryu is looking. It can still be trouble on occasion if you are cornered, but it’s not something you’ll notice every step of the way.

If you like difficult action games with loads of enemies, then Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 is for you. The story is completely over the top at times, and it seems like it takes itself very seriously, but at the same time you know deep down that everything is very tongue-in-cheek. How else do you come to a scenario where a man with a sword is able to destroy gigantic and iconic statues that have come to life like they are made out of Play Doh? The story is actually more enjoyable because of its nonsensical nature, because you’re sitting around waiting to see what ridiculous idea the developers have come up with for your next epic battle.

There’s some new stuff for those considering diving in a second time, like new bosses, weapons and playable characters, as well as an online co-op mission mode. If you’re by your lonesome, the second character will be controlled by the computer, so you can still experience this even if you have no one to play with. The missions are also great for replay value, given you can go through them again and again with your buddies, using different characters and strategies to get by. Sigma 2 also did a great job of cutting out a lot of the excess fat from the Xbox 360 version–because of this, the pacing is better, cheap deaths are lessened and the game is an overall more satisfying experience because of it. Oh, and you can jiggle the ladies assets with motion control, but that’s not exactly a bullet-point addition, now is it?

At the same time, if you’re a Ninja Gaiden II die hard, you may be put off by some of the changes. The game is far less bloody–there are no more fountains of blood shooting out of the necks and bodies of your dismembered opponents. On the plus side, the game’s frame rate is very good, and things run smoothly the whole time. On the downside, your blood fountains are gone, and the pro-blood fountain demographic is sure to make noise about this blatant disregard for their needs. The higher difficulty levels are also different, as your enemies have more hit points and do more damage, but don’t seem to be that much more intelligent in their approach. Some of the additions also don’t make much sense–that Buddha statue that comes after you in the first level just sort of appears out of nowhere when you’re still fighting basic goons (the Fiends have not been awakened yet). There are also some annoying presentation issues–a few levels are very, very bland in their look (hello New York city) and the game does not account for your weapon of choice in cutscenes–Ryu apparently has time to sheath the weapon he was using to pull out the Dragon Sword he didn’t fight with after each and every boss encounter.

Blast Factor: Those who did not play the original because they do not own both consoles will most likely not notice or care about the omissions, because Sigma 2 is a smoother gameplay experience, just like Sigma was. Fans of the original are sure to be split down the middle–those who played it on all of the difficulties until their fingers cramped probably won’t mind giving this new version a go, but whether they enjoy it or not has a lot to do with their level of blood lust (or their love for polygonal breasts that jiggle on command). If you can deal without the blood, then you’ll be happy you picked up this more recent edition.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 is available exclusively on the Playstation 3, and retails for $59.99. A copy of this game was given to us by the publisher for review purposes.

IGN revealed today that the Wii version of Tony Hawk’s latest foray in the game-world, will allow you to use your Mii as a playable, skateable character and that two Wii-exclusive maps will be in the final product.

Additionally, Mii versions of professional skateboarders including Paul Rodriguez and Steve Nesser are in the game, if their actual character models just don’t do it for you.

“One of the big wins for us is that you can skate as your Miis,” said Yale Miller, Tony Hawk: Ride’s producer. “We kept asking to get this feature in, and Nintendo liked what they saw.”

Buzz Monkey, developer of the Wii version of RIDE, also built two levels exclusive to the game. It’s likely not enough for a multiple system owner to jump to the Wii version, but at least it’s something.

Full story at IGN

For this reason some shipping issues have occurred and some lucky souls (maybe you!) have the game in their hands today, one entire day before the game’s official release date. This all seems well and good right? Not so much.

What this means is if you scored yourself an early copy, the first thing you’ll notice when you pop the disc into your PS3 is a horrific PSN error message that’ll mandate offline play. And that’s no good because we’ve heard all about how bloodstained and helpful the online play will be.

However, Atlus promises that when the clock strikes midnight on October 6, the day the game officially launches, they’ll flip the switch and turn on the Demon’s Souls servers, allowing you to experience the game, in it’s complete and online-buffed entirety.

Aren’t you glad you read this post before you went out and stabbed your internet service provider? We saved you a life-sentence!

In this latest ad “Uncharted 2: Among Thieves,” Sony’s breadwinner game due out in two weeks, is thought of in the same breath as a film, indistinguishable actually.

The spot is only 30 seconds, but make damn sure you stay till the very end. The punchline is golden!

Version 1.3, as it’s being called, allows you to launch whatever game you have queued up either in the disc-tray or on your hard-drive for instant access, without having to back out to the main screen and load the game.

But there’s more. Sony also revealed that new clothing categories, emotes, and items will show up in Home Version 1.3, as well as the ability to try on and see your mini-me in desired clothing in real-time.

Maybe now Home can be the space we all imagined it once could be. Tomorrow’s update will at least be a step in the right direction if nothing else.

Full story at PlayStation Blog

In the demo PS3 and Xbox 360 gamers will be introduced to the game’s first-person crash mechanic, the beautiful cockpit view, and the all-new driver profile, a system that builds a unique persona based on the style and skill of the player, while racing around Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps and the tight city circuit of London River in these 5 varied speed demons.

1. BMW M3 (E46)

1. 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10

3. 2006 Lotus Elise 111R

4. 2008 Nissan GT-R

5. 2006 Pagani Zonda F (unlockable)

PC gamers don’t fret. As we previously mentioned, a demo for you guys has been around for a week now. Check it out here and if you missed our hands-on impressions with the game, read ‘em here.

In the “Watchmen Pack” you’ll score the comic and recent film adaptation’s main characters’ costumes as well as a slew of stickers from the Watchmen universe to slap wherever you feel necessary.

Need more? Here’s the debut video of the Sackpeople in action and decked out in Watchmen attire.

Full story at Media Molecule

Reebok are offering a download code for the DLC for PS3 versions of Madden ‘10 to anyone who simply signs up on their page. It’s that simple. We kid you not.

Want proof? I signed up in less than 1 minute and scored this code. But it’s all yours, dear reader!

P2T4-M6B9-8Q32

Simply input the code in the PlayStation Store and you’re good to go!

The deal will likely expire/run out of codes soon, so hop on over to the deal page to score your Legacy Pack code.

The entire soundtrack  is a collaboration of composer Inon Zur, vocalist Aubrey Ashburn and BioWare Audio Director Simon Pressey. It will be available for purchase or as an online download from music sites when the game is released for the 360 and PC on November 3rd.

The limited edition system has a 250GB hard drive and is decorated with a sleek pink and white Final Fantasy emblem, with a matching white controller to round out the package.

We like what we see and truly hope Sony expands availability to the United States so we can get our hands on one of them.

As always, click each image to make superhugeawesome.

via Kotaku