If you’re one of the people who had a gripe with the number of players in Street Fighter IV, you may just get a kick out of this. Super Street Fighter IV is adding 8 playable characters to the roster including some fan favorites. Check out the latest gameplay footage with the boy, Deejay after the jump.

It’s been a long time coming, but gamers in the West are only a few short months away from the Final Fantasy XIII release. Square Enix has announced that the title will ship for Xbox 360 and PS3 on March 9, 2010 in both the United States and Europe. Comprised mostly of a team responsible for Final Fantasy VII, X and X-2, Final Fantasy XIII marks the first time since Final Fantasy VII that the series has appeared on a non-Sony console (FF XI and the handheld remakes notwithstanding).

Check out the announcement trailer with new footage and development team interviews after the jump.

FINAL FANTASY XIII marks the dawning of a new era for the celebrated franchise, bringing the series to multiple hi-definition consoles simultaneously for the first time in its history. Expanding upon the rich tradition of the series, Producer Kitase Yoshinori (FINAL FANTASY VII, X, X-2), Director Motomu Toriyama (FINAL FANTASY VII, X, X-2), character designer Tetsuya Nomura (FINAL FANTASY V, VI, VII, VIII, X) and art director Isamu Kamikokuryo (FINAL FANASY X, XII) combine their creative vision to deliver the latest masterpiece in the FINAL FANTASY universe. Additionally, Masashi Hamauzu (FINAL FANTASY X, DIRGE of CERBERUS -FINAL FANTASY VII-) presents a sweeping soundtrack while movie director Takeshi Nozue (FINAL FANTASY VII ADVENT CHILDREN) and his team of artists adorn the game with seamless cinematic sequences of unparalleled caliber.

“We know that our fans have been eagerly awaiting the next installation of the franchise – FINAL FANTASY XIII will exceed all expectations,” said John Yamamoto, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix, Inc. “Coming simultaneously to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 for the first time, FINAL FANTASY XIII will be available to all players who are looking for the most immersive gaming experience of 2010.”

Features
· Take Part in a Gaming Experience that Sets New Standards – The first in the series developed for a simultaneous release on multiple high-definition consoles, FINAL FANTASY XIII pushes new boundaries in cinematic presentation, sound and gameplay.
· Experience the Unity of Speed and Strategy with the Ultimate Active Time Battle system – The familiar system has evolved, granting players the freedom of executing numerous commands in a single turn with the multi-slot ATB gauge. Whether inputting singular commands in each slot for consecutive attacks, or expending multiple slots at once to activate a devastating blow, it’s up to the players to respond effectively to the battle conditions at hand.
· Adapt to the Ever-Changing Tide of Battle with Paradigms – A brand-new game mechanic enabling players to assign roles to their party members at any time during battle, shifting between combat paradigms. Consisting of various combinations of the game’s six roles, ranging from Commando, the offensive specialist, to Medic, the quintessential healer, paradigms allow players to respond and adapt instantly to any given situation to turn the tide and seize victory.
· Witness the Battle Scene Transform with an All-New Summon System – Introducing Gestalt Mode, a powerful dimension of the summon system that elevates the action to a whole new level. In Gestalt Mode, characters and their transformed Eidolons fight as one, dealing massive damage to enemies through simple button commands.
· Delve into an Emotional Experience – An immersive storyline connects players to an intriguing cast of characters. Will they have the strength to confront their cursed fates, or will destiny prevail over all that they believe in?

Unlike Guitar Hero, which I’ve played once (and promptly bought a real guitar in defiance), DJ hero allows me to abandon the crates of records, the thousand dollar mixer, the gigantic headphones, and pretty much all of the other essentials of a serious D.J.

With one box, one game, and just under $120 bucks, Activision’s DJ Hero is the company’s take on rhythm-game innovation.

Juiced on the type of adrenaline that can only come from bass and rhyme, I was actually electrified by the ability to enjoy hip-hop that I never thought I’d hear in a video game.

Not that Guitar Hero, or any of the other tens of music games dominating retail since 2007 was bad, it’s just that they never spoke to me: I love hip-hop. Activision’s taking a huge gamble in hopes that there’s enough of me out there to justify their expansion into urban territory.

And boy is DJ Hero a gamble.

Mixing all eras of Hip-Hop with ‘mash-ups’ of pop songs hand-selected by the world’s greatest DJs, and DJ Hero’s sole focus seems to be to make your body move. Whether you’re a hardcore gamer, a casual fan, or someone new to games entirely, does DJ Hero’s bizarre new turntable-come-hip-hop-gameplay have enough accessibility to seduce the masses? Or, is underground and, perhaps, under-appreciated, where hip-hop is destined to remain in video games?

The Props…
For starters, the track list is outstanding. Should Activision decide to sell the game’s soundtrack alone, they’d make a mint. Where the music grabs you with potent mixes of classic hip-hop and modern pop, the comprehensive tutorial does its best to translate the complex art of turntablism into game form.

Here are the basics: match the colored buttons on your turntable with the colors on the on-screen rhythm bar. Spin, shift, and slide your way to b-boy legend, by playing what’s essentially ’simon says’ on screen. It’s a simple concept that has worked in about a dozen music games before it, but DJ Hero’s hip-hop scratching hook is that authentic spin that separates it from the pack.

Narrated by DJ Grandmaster Flash, the 10 part tutorial does a great job in holding your hand – and you’ll need it. Patiently teaching you the basics of cross-fading, scratching, rewinding, and the game’s Euphoria point booster, DJ Hero literally won’t allow you to get to the real game without training first. This is a good thing.

Even if you’re used to music-rhythm games, DJ Hero is a tough act to start. A turntable doesn’t have the natural feel of drums, nor the sex appeal of a guitar. Hunching over a mock turntable, and keeping the frenetic rhythm of pop-hop, might seem impossible at first. However, with practice and the propulsion of good music, you’ll get the hang of it without the awful feeling of screwing up.

Credit that with the fact that you don’t quite lose in DJ Hero. You’ll always complete a song. The only penalty for missing music cues (if you miss the corresponding colored buttons and commands), is a soft fade out of the audio until you get back into the beat. In this way, HERO makes replaying each track a little easier on the ego.

Satisfactory completion of a music set (usually 3 mash-ups) unlocks new DJs avatars, new equipment, and bigger party venues. However, the biggest reason to continue playing remains the hook that grabs you from the start: The Music.

Unlocking new mash-ups is a joy, and becomes a personal challenge as you begin practicing with the fervor and discipline of a fighting game. Make no mistake: you will practice. A lot. That said, the psychological reward of getting a perfect score in Hero’s 5 star rating system, is a satisfaction that can only be appreciated with GREAT music.

The Whack…
All isn’t great in paradise, though. To be blunt, DJ Hero isn’t cheap. Despite the fact that the turntable peripheral looks pretty damned close to the real thing, it’s extremely tough to justify the $120.00 retail price. Yes, the music is fantastic, and yes the game is fun. However, unlike other rhythm games, DJ Hero is ultimately a single player experience.

Let me qualify that. DJ Hero certainly has multiplayer. There are 10 specific mashup tracks that allow you to hook up Activision’s Guitar peripheral to ‘rock-infused’ DJ sets. But honestly, those mashups are kind of a mess. In split screen play, player one controls the turntable, while player two rudely interrupts with the awkwardly-mixed metal riffs. Perhaps with some fine-tuning and better music selection, Activision might smooth this ugly pairing in future games, but as it exists, it really feels like more of an afterthought – and sounds like a cacophony.

DJ Hero’s true multiplayer is really just an extension of the single player experience. You can take the game online to battle other mix masters, but as a party game in the company of casual novices, DJ Hero is a lot more fun to watch (and dance to) than actually play if you haven’t put in the work of practicing. By the time your friends get the hang of the game through the tutorial and easier tracks, your party will probably already be over.

The Quirks of Single Player
Don’t get me wrong, DJ Hero is a criminal amount of fun when you’re in the groove. Beyond hitting the proper buttons, DJ Hero has an interesting ‘freestyle’ button that allows at certain points, to affect the ‘effects dial’ and initiate various freestyle samples to incorporate into the mix.

The game claims that you can improvise, but that’s extremely misleading. You can hit the sample button as much as time allows, or play with fading the volume as much as you like – which, honestly, who wants to play with the volume? Where HERO really drops the ball is by completely omitting the ability to have an area where players can creatively freestyle scratch and fade on their own. While mastering HERO is fun, it’s often very linear. Once you learn the strokes through the game’s 90+ songs, you’re done. The game gets more complex on higher difficulty levels, but the longevity of the game would’ve been extended considerably if players could simply rack up points by doing whatever they wanted at certain cues.

There’s nothing worse than getting into the groove and really wishing that you could cut loose, but HERO doesn’t allow it.

So Basically, I’m Saying…
Ultimately, if you love hip-hop and pop music, I dare you to find a more epic gathering of DJ Luminaries. From DJ Shadow and DJ AM to DJ Jazzy Jeff, the music in this game is beastly, and will constantly take you out of your living room and into the club. DJ Hero is immersing, once you get past that learning curve. Trading off with a practiced friend is fun, but you’ll be the real life of the party if you show off your skills to a group of bystanders. The game will certainly keep their heads nodding.

The track list is the real show stopper. From N.E.R.D to The Jackson 5, Afrika Bambaataa to Public Enemy, and underground sensations like Wale to 80’s glam-rock groups like Foreigner, DJ Hero is an outstandingly good time…

…albeit 40 bucks overpriced.

With Sam Fisher’s return fastly approaching, Ubisoft has released the second behind the scenes trailer for Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction. In “Behind Closed Doors Part 2″ the developers of Splinter Cell Conviction give you an inside look at how the Israeli martial art Krav Maga and real-life firearm techniques inspired Conviction’s new gameplay. You’ll also learn about Sam’s newest toys such as EMP grenades and improvised gadgets and get a look at how the storyline will be taken in surprising new directions following the tragic events of Double Agent.

2009 has been the year of the fighter with many noteworthy (and somewhat disappointing) entries into the fray. Namco Bandai hasn’t been asleep this year having already released the PSP fighter Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny and now, their flagship series Tekken returns with its sixth iteration. After being released in overseas arcades in 2007, and completely missing stateside arcades, Tekken 6 has arrived for both PS3 and Xbox 360 (the first time appearing on a non-Sony console), and as a mainstay in the fighting genre, it crosses the finish line with proof that a good fighting game is always worth the wait.

Tekken 6 continues the storyline of the Mishima power struggle between father and son, with Jin Kazama positioning himself to rule the world and his father Kazuya Mishima being the only opposition around to stop him. While the act may seem noble, Kazuya’s true ambitions are also that of world conquest with his cursed son being his only obstacle. In the wake of these events, The King of Iron Fist Tournament 6 is announced which sees the return of the 35 competitors from Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection along with 6 brand new fighters. With the largest lineup of characters in the history of the series, Tekken 6 makes strides keeping the game exciting and packing enough reason for hours of replay.

True to its tradition of stunning visuals, Tekken 6 brings out a new level of artistic direction with new stages that are completely immersive and downright distracting. You’ll have your fighters slugging it out in snow covered mountain valleys, a secluded rainforest lake, or even a downed colony satellite filled with flying overhead jets and upside down land formations. Along with being breathtaking, the background stages also have more interactivity with many stages allowing for walls and floors to be broken through, carrying fighters to new arenas to finish the fight. The character customization first seen in Tekken 5 also returns and carries the largest arrangement of modifications to character appearance. Along with that, there are now equipped item moves that add a (very) small amount of weapon combat to the game.

The Tekken series has always been about combos and juggles and Tekken 6 introduces new tweaks to its mechanics that introduce a deeper level of strategy while competing. Character specific combos now have variable ‘combo ender’ options that allow for finishing touches and bonus damage. To longtime players of the series, the combo enders add the missing link to Tekken’s much cherished fighting system and really bring out the flash in each match. While it may seem that juggles are starting to feel like infinite combos, the damage scaling has been revised to keep gameplay from becoming a one-combo round.

The console release of Tekken 6 brings a new mode called Scenario Campaign. Scenario Campaign is a throwback to traditional brawlers such as Double Dragon and Streets of Rage but incorporates the actual move sets of the Tekken fighters. While similar to both the Tekken Force and Devil Within modes from previous releases, the scenario campaign mode gives players a bigger level of storytelling by following the two newest characters of the series – Lars Alexandersson and Alisa Bosconovitch. The duo will travel together and try to piece together the connections to Jin’s need for world dominance, Kazuya’s obsession with destroying his own son and why both Lars and Alisa seem to be integral to those plans. Though this mode has a serious issue with camera placement and broken AI, it’s worth playing given that it’s the easiest alternative to acquiring customization items without using actual fight money credits in game.

For fighting games, the cast of fighters is always a make or break (pun intended) factor. Everyone’s favorites like Paul Phoenix, Nina Williams, Yoshimitsu and the wooden fighting dummy Mokujin return. The 6 new characters all introduce their own uniqueness to the talent pool. Bob is an overweight fighter that uses his size to gain more leverage in the martial arts arena. Alisa is the cybernetically enhanced daughter of Tekken 3’s Dr. B whose graceful fighting style is overshadowed by her robotic attributes. Zafina is an extremely agile assassin researching world ending occurrences stemming from the father-son blood feud. Miguel is a Spanish brawler seeking vengeance for his dead sister. Lars steps in as the wild card with a hidden secret that makes itself apparent during the scenario campaign mode. Whether you’re a casual player or a longtime acquaintance to the Tekken series, these characters drive the overall appeal of the game and provide some of the most exciting thrills in the fighting game genre.

While missing its release in arcades here in the west, Namco Bandai has made sure to include an online fighting mode allowing players to fight against others around the world. Though it’s an excellent way to seek out competition, server lag issues on both consoles have diminished the broad appeal of online fighting. As an alternative, the Ghost Vs mode provides players with computer controlled rivals that mimic actual flesh and blood opponents. Players can also download ghost fighters from both the online community of their own respective XBL and PSN buddy lists.

Tekken 6 has done a spectacular job of giving the players what they want with a fighter, and with so much content and a huge cast of characters, Namco Bandai continues to prove that the genre still has a lot of fight left in it.

Though the announcement comes a little later than expected, Bioware and EA shocked no one by confirming a limited Collector’s Edition for Mass Effect 2. The Collectors’ Edition of Mass Effect 2 comes in a premium, tin case and includes the full version of the game, a 48-page hardcover “Art of Mass Effect 2” book, Issue 1 of the Mass Effect Redemption comic book, and a bonus DVD with behind-the-scenes and making-of videos. In addition, the Mass Effect 2 Collectors’ Edition will include unique in-game weapons and armor that can only be obtained by purchasing this version.

Releasing alongside the standard edition of the game on both PC and Xbox 360, gamers can expect to play Mass Effect 2 on January 26, 2010 in North America. With the Mass Effect Collector’s Edition being hard to come by and the recently released Dragon Age: Origins Collector’s Edition being only briefly available for pre-order through traditional retail shops; gamers interested in this special may want to jump on their local stores quickly.

First off, this isn’t a formal review. We didn’t get the game in advance, and it’s far too large to offer any official score. That said, we do LOVE it, but we’re also playing the game right along with you. I’m the beginner of PCS (fellow writer Reuben Montgomery’s slightly further along), and what we see, you’ll see.

Find cool weapons worth bragging about? Send us a link to your Youtube video! For now, if you’re just getting started, here are some tips to make your trek towards Level 20 a little easier.

THE NEWBIE: SOLDIER CLASS
15 hours in, and the addiction is overpowering. It didn’t start that way, though, and it takes a good hour to get used to the feel of movement and weight in the game. 2K Games is calling Borderlands a Role Playing Shooter (RPS), and that’s pretty accurate. If you shoot at something that refuses to die, remember, this isn’t your traditional first person shooter. Those numbers that pop up over the heads of your enemies, inform you of an adversary’s power levels. The more powerful they are, the more powerful you need to be to take them down.

Choosing the right character class and weaponry suits your style of gaming. I’m playing through Borderlands as the all-purpose soldier class. While every character in the game is well balanced, Soldiers have the advantage of enabling support turrets, which can be useful as an additional helping hand during chaotic battles. Serving the dual purpose of temporary support gun and shield, the turret is upgradeable in several intriguing ways which you’ll discover as you become more powerful or find rare loot. If you’re looking for a durable class with high proficiency and increased accuracy in SMG weapons, the Soldier Class is the match made just for you.

I’m getting ahead of myself, though. It took me a little while before fully grasping the fundamentals of survival on Gearbox’s dusty plains, so hopefully some of these tips will benefit you in becoming strong enough to brave the wilds.

[View with PicLens]

GO FOR THE GREEN:
It may seem obvious, but wherever you see the color green in the game, go towards it. Green symbols are everywhere, and Borderlands rewards the curious. Find ANY green-colored light, interact with it, and you’re usually rewarded with some kind of money, useful item, or weapon that will always prove valuable as you progress in the game. Even during rare times when GREEN doesn’t yield loot, it’s a safe bet that GREEN is where you’ll find the next story progression point. Remember to open everything that you can. Borderlands is all about exploration. Kill everything and loot it. There are thousands of weapons and customizations in the game, so don’t get too attached to your favorite gun. Frankly, there’s ALWAYS something better. Also, because ammunition is limited, constantly checking what enemies leave behind will save your butt when you need those bullets in a firefight.

PAY ATTENTION TO THE ON-SCREEN DATA
If you’re accustomed to First Person Shooters, the Role-playing style data may be a little intimidating at first. At any given time, your screen is full of useful data that can help you make smart decisions. See the video above for a useful breakdown about what you should be paying attention to.

BEGIN IN SINGLE PLAYER
Borderlands shines as a multiplayer game, but it’s actually better to start off your adventure in the single player mode… at least until you reach level 5. Single player allows you to get the feel of the land, and early enemies are weak enough that you shouldn’t have too much difficulty taking them down. The biggest advantage of starting by yourself is that you get to keep all of your loot. During multiplayer games, the general rule is that whoever finds it, claims it. While the better online crews have a considerate trading system among parties, the greedier adventurers online won’t hesitate to find a wealthy booty, take everything, and leave you looking at an empty box. Starting off solo gives you a fighting chance at getting a good weapon to start with and being a valuable contributor to a party once your confidence level is up.

TAKE A BREATHER
Nobody tells you this, but just stopping to catch your breath is therapeutic in Borderlands. Certain shields recharge by standing and pausing, and some shields recharge your health by crouching behind cover and not getting hit.

VENDORS ARE YOUR FRIEND
Again, there’s a lot of on-screen information. It took me until level 5 to discover that you can sell items back to your vendor. Your shoulder buttons allow you to navigate through the tiers of your menu screen, and that’s important. You’ll access your map, inventory, and eventually, your Tech Tree A LOT. You can fill up your supply back pack quickly, as you acquire goodies from the badlands. Sell what you don’t need, or give it away to a buddy. Don’t horde. You’ll want room for that awesome weapon when you do find it, and the Vendors are often the best place to get modifications and upgrades as the game supplies them.

UNDERSTAND YOUR WEAPON PROPERTIES & ICONS
Whenever you find a new item, there’s a colored icon providing you invaluable information at a glance. Weapons, mods, and shields all have statistical data that is important in helping you decide if it’s worth it to pick up. Red lights over an item usually mean that the item is less powerful that whatever you have equipped. Green usually means that the item has some advantages over what’s in your stock, and white over an item usually means ammunition. You’ll often see gold lights, too. That’s money.

The same color system works with the value arrows associated with pretty much anything in the game. A DOWN arrow is typically red, an UP arrow, Green. Remember: You always want to go UP.

PARTYING IS FUN! DON’T BE ANTI SOCIAL
If you want to progress at a healthy pace, your best bet towards leveling up and completing story missions is to go online and join a multiplayer group. This is a co-op multiplayer campaign that can best be described as Phantasy Star Online in a fun First Person Shooter shell. Team with four other adventurers, defeat bad guys and bosses, and collect sinful amounts of loot. It’s not only addictive, but incredibly fun. Minutes turn to hours, and pretty soon, you’ll see half the night vanish behind wildly entertaining raid quests and story progression. Well, honestly, there really isn’t much story, but opening up new areas or just going back through old areas with more powerful weapons rarely gets old. Find a good crew of people and support each other. Play the game with the team in mind, and you’ll watch your levels rise faster than they ever would had you tried to go through the whole game alone.

KNOW YOUR ENEMIES
In the early parts of the game, all you have to worry about are the dog-like SKAGGS, Flying RAKKS, and the incredibly aggressive human Bounty Hunters. You’ll quickly discover that enemies in Borderlands aren’t bright, but they’re tough and will overwhelm you in numbers. The game isn’t about sophisticated A.I. There’s no trickery here. Borderlands will assault you with enemies that move quickly and hit hard. Worse, enemies have no problem attacking you with mixed types. Don’t engage an enemy that is considerably more powerful than you, and sometimes it’s better to wait in the wings while the varying enemy types pick each other off.

Enemies level up right along with you, and some of the later modifications of the early foes are too tough for one person. Learn how they attack early. Some lunge, some fly and dive, and some just hit you with whatever weaponry they can get hold of. While the patterns rarely change, the difficulty in killing them, and armor surrounding them, often does.

LASTLY, ENJOY CUSTOM MATCHMAKING
If you’re considering taking your character online for a quick match, don’t. The online matchmaking system is buggy when you want a quick run-n-gun, and will often drop early level gamers into sadistically difficult games. The best way to find traveling buddies is via use of the fantastic CUSTOM MATCH feature. Borderlands’ servers let you see players levels, the current mission they’re on, and how many open slots are available for you to join. Once in, the experience is usually lag-free, and the four-person limit keeps things chaotic without slowing down the technology running the party. In fact, your level of fun is probably only limited to the people you’re playing with. Gearbox Games certainly can’t make a patch for that, can they?

Enjoy!

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NPR recently posted an excellent feature on DJ Hero via it’s pop culture section which you can listen to above. Admittedly, the peripheral isn’t as recognizable as a guitar or drum set, so perhaps Guitar Hero sales expectations might be optimistic. Still, having played the preview build and being continually astounded by the pedigree of high-quality hip-hop mash-ups, DJ Hero is the game you NEED to play if you want a fresh change from Guitar Hero.

From DJ AM to DJ Jazzy Jeff, the mix-masters in the game are superstars in the industry. With songs and mash-ups lovingly selected by each DJ, Hero promises to be a exuberant assault on your ears and a loving ode to the evolution of Hip-hop.

We’ll keep you posted with our review when we get the game later this week.

Forza Motorsport 3 returns the franchise to the spotlight with fresh new looks, sweet new features and more content than some top shelf RPGs. Players will find that Forza Motorsport 3 is more of an evolution than a revolution. Considering that Forza Motorsport 2 is a game that is still worth picking up from time to time, that’s not a bad thing at all.

Ever heard the phrase “Don’t hate the playa, hate the game?” Well, racing simulations for many are more like the game hating the player. It can present a high barrier to entry for those without the patience to get past the learning curve and is even worse for those without the attention span to constantly attempt to approach every turn with perfect consistency. Put simply, racing sims can be a real pain in the ass.

Take one turn too quick, too slow or too far inside and instantly your race is a loss. Pause game, scroll down, restart. If you play racing sims and you’re working on your perfect line, that routine is all too familiar to you. Forza Motorsport 3 has remedied most if not all of these issues. Need for Speed: Shift started to add a level of accessibility to the sim side of race titles and Forza Motorsport 3 appears to have perfected it. In all truth Need for Speed: Shift wasn’t a pure sim. Forza Motorsport 3 on the other hand both is and isn’t.

To quote Tom Cruise, “even a nutless monkey” could play this game with all the assists on and the new rewind feature. This all new rewind feature allows a driver to simply tap the back button and go back in small increments to a previous point in the race, allowing players to jump back in time prior to that podium contention ending wreck and retry that overtake or turn. Even better, this feature is one you can use without penalty or a number of uses. Having a mulligan of sorts in a racing game honestly completely changes the approach to gameplay. While some purists may scoff at this before trying it, but all BS aside, you’ll use it on the last lap of a 10 lap race when you drop from first to last. And you know it. And you’ll find that after time you’ll be using this less often to win and more often to get the near perfect lap time. If for no other reason it’s apparent right off the bat that Turn 10 is taking steps forward instead of resting on an already successful platform.

The game sports all new upgrade options, breaking down many of the categories that were once grouped together. Now cams, valves and springs can all be swapped separately for example, giving you an even greater level of control over exactly what type of car you’re intending to build. Hours upon hours can be spent simply trying to wring every last bit of performance from a vehicle; you can drive the same car with the same parts but an optimized setup can shave seconds off a lap time. Also added are even more camera views for spectating your own awesomeness, as well as an all new driving aspect, a true cockpit view. In the wake of Need for Speed: Shift this may seem less impressive but you have to realize the fact that Forza Motorsport 3 has more than double the rides Shift did. Every single cockpit is picture perfect down to the gauges. Just take a look during a race, even the damn trip counter works. That’s true racing obsession and we love it.

The details are what sets Forza games apart. To match the picture perfect interiors, the exteriors are of the same caliber, painstakingly modeled and scaled perfectly. Factory colors are accurate, and thanks to this detail customizations pop off that much better. Many will remember the painting and decal system of the past, as well as some of the absolutely ridiculous schemes produced and distributed by the community. That system has been expanded upon and thanks to the graphical overhaul Forza Motorsport 3 looks almost photo realistic most of the time.

Perhaps the biggest leap forward in the visuals are the backgrounds. Though the previous two Forzas were nice looking at the time, but the backdrops were far from beautiful. Luckily the racing was enough to make the track scenery barely noticeable. Now, the tracks are so pretty they’re distracting at times. They’re no longer flat. From the trees to the mountains to the pavement, everything is upgraded and seems to really come to life this time around. The superficial seems to have finally surpassed the substance of the series as the complete package is absolutely gorgeous.

That’s not to say the substance is shallow or lacking. This game is massive, some might say “too beaucoup.” When was the last time you bought a racing game that came on more than one disc? Forza Motorsport 3 ships on two discs, the second containing 1.9 gigs of cars and tracks that you can install on your hard drive either in full or selectively split up in three car packs and one map pack. If the track count goes on for days then car count goes on for months, with over 400 vehicles present.

In case you hadn’t caught the hint yet, clear some hard drive space. But don’t delete your music because yet again you won’t be singing along to anything on Forza Motorsport 3’s soundtrack. No cause for alarm though, as the cars and sounds of racing are the real soundtrack. The Forza series has always boasted some of the best audio around when it comes to the roar of V8’s and the whine of superchargers. Once again the time put into painstaking recording samples of each of the games 400 cars pays dividends in the sound department. That’s become one of the things expected from Turn 10. Luckily being victims to their own attention to detail and passion hasn’t caused them to fold under the pressure.

Pushing the genre even farther towards new heights is the new version of the auction house. Bidding on a car can be insanely frustrating with no maximum bid feature, forcing you to constantly rebid or just give up and pay a buyout to acquire a vehicle. That being said it is still quite satisfying to sell a car for more than what the game would have given your or even better purchase one for a fraction of the cost a car store transaction would have run. Also on the marketplace are tuning settings so you can even profit from your technical knowledge or be competitive against those with more of it. The marketplace and auction house bring a sense of community to Forza that extends even beyond the usual multiplayer races.

No racing game has ever felt this complete before, being fun both when racing and when doing the chores in between. Forza Motorsport 3’s depth and content make other racers pale in comparison. Some may boast more cars, others more visceral racing, others better graphics, and others even more features. But none can claim to pull it all off with the fanaticism and sheen that Forza Motorsport 3 does. The title does everything well without glaring shortcomings. Forza Motorsport 3 is the champ and going strong; with the promise of downloadable content painting a grim picture for the competition.

The best news for Xbox fans? The Microsoft store can fix most Xbox 360 RROD problems on-site, so no more sending your Xbox off for impromptu vacations. Unfortunately, the only existing store is in Scottsdale, Arizona. Here’s hoping for expansion.

This, of course, is what the master tacticians of EA marketing want you to think.

What happens when a free-roaming adventure jumps genres and goes from God of War pummeling to Command and Conquer strategy? If those descriptions are all over the map, that’s actually Brutal Legend in a nutshell. Does Legend’s hybrid mash-up of free-roaming adventure meets driving, meets strategy, equal the sum of its parts? Or, is Brutal Legend all metal angst and hilarious – but squandered – potential?

The Props:
Brutal Legend’s strongest suit is the heavy hand of gaming’s wittiest writer, Tim Schafer. From the evocative character designs to the high-energy score, you don’t have to be a fan of rock or even a long-time fan of video gaming to see that the developers at Double Fine put such an outstanding effort into the presentation, that you’ll probably enjoy experiencing the game no matter how it plays. It’s a gorgeous world that might not be the most technically impressive if, say, Gears of War 2 or Uncharted is your benchmark. Artistically however, Brutal Legend is possibly one of the most visually imaginative games of this generation. I get giddy simply going into the world to look around, and in an age where every game fumbles over the other to topple the last game graphically, Brutal Legend’s artistry has staying power.

Musically, it’s a sonic boom in ode to the heavy metal action noise of the 80s . Credit goes to Schafer for demystifying the ‘devil’s music’, ie, those Metallica, Slayer, and Judas Priest songs that black kids like me grew up running and screaming from. Schafer finds humor and humanity in the absurdity and playfulness of it all, utilizing even the most demonic classic rock imagery and creating a compelling world where the greatest fault lies in the game not allowing us to explore it enough.

Jack Black and the cast of voice actors from previous Schafer games do an outstanding job of pulling you into what is essentially an interactive animated movie. There really is a rich world here, with a back story earnestly played about fire gods, fallen demons, and the glory of metal. Brutal Legend’s journey alternates between incredibly funny and deadly serious, with romance, drama, and enough honest-to-goodness reverence for these characters that you’ll often find yourself desperate to get back to the cuts-scenes. It’s an experience that any long-time gamer should play at least once.

The Wack:
Unfortunately, for all of the love and attention to the characters, writing, and art, the actual game play is a mess of excess. Brutal Legend is part driving game, part free-roaming adventure, and about 85% Real Time Strategy game. The designers borrow elements from other franchises with reckless abandon. Access special worlds and abilities via a Guitar Hero mechanic, playing chords in a pseudo rhythm game to unlock power-ups. Drive around GTA style via a free roaming world in The Deuce, your makeshift hotrod, and you’re able to get around the world faster – but the designers put such little thought into giving you reason to explore the world or in diversifying the side-missions (racing quests or quick battle sneak attacks), that anything involving the over world feels like an afterthought.

Truth be told, it probably was.

There is a car, but no hint of a mini-map, thus making it frustratingly easy to get lost during the game’s many race sub games. There’s money for upgrading yourself and your vehicle, but most of it you really don’t need. The over world inhabitants can be passed without incident, unless you’re really just looking for something to do to break up the missions.

It’s a shame because the lack of mission variety gives very little reason to explore a world BEGGING to be explored. No secret caves or villages or lands beyond the sea. The over world that you play in the demo, and the one that the marketing campaigns show over and again, is one that you’ll barely ever see unless you make an effort to. Unfortunately, you’ll spend the bulk of your time engaged in the game’s most frustrating and dominant mechanic: The RTS-heavy Stage Battles.

There’s a strong concept here. Had the game been a solid combat game alone, or perhaps a strong exploration heavy adventure, there’d be a whole lot less complaint. It’s when Brutal Legend introduces a complete strategy game, with resource gathering, sub units, and special attacks, that your heart will soar at how cool this game could be, then sink when you realize how horribly the RTS has been implemented.

Like Kingdom Under Fire before it, Brutal Legend gets daring in allowing gamers to control troops from a sky-high vantage point, or down and dirty at ground level, fighting action-game style with your rag-tag rock band. There’s resource management (collecting fans) and base-building (your concert stage), and even troop management (members of your band) – all analogously re-branded in Brutal Legend’s clever mythology. Not only is this strategy-heavy game play the bulk of the 6+ hour campaign, but it’s the whole of the multiplayer component. Frankly, if you want longevity from Brutal Legends, you’d better grow to love the multiplayer. More, you’d better be willing to spend a lot of time learning the intricacies of a very awkward RTS combat system.

Good luck with that.

Brutal Legend promises the moon with three well-rounded factions (the mobile humans, the powerful demons, and the swarming goth undead), but totally misses the boat with terribly clumsy controls during battles.

Good luck trying to effectively isolate troops or in attempting actual strategic placements and attacks. Troops don’t consistently respond to commands, will attack broad areas without the option to do otherwise, and seem only good for doing the ONE thing Schafer has publically gone on record saying should be employed: The one-on-one double team attacks.

Standing next to any troop type and pressing Y allows you to engage in a powerful special attack unique to that troop. Standing with one character might kick off a powerful sword strike. Tapping Y near a vehicle, and you can man the gun’s turrets. Stand near a group of your head-banging brute soldier class, and kick off a powerful ‘mosh pit’ where you lead the whole troop into pummeling a single adversary.

Clearly, this is how Schafer wants the game to be played to begin with. Again, not a bad mechanic in an action game, but considering that the strategy almost always devolves into finding a troop type, flooding the map, and special Y attacking your foes to death, the complicated and wasted real time strategy elements stay consistent with the rest of the game’s wasted potential. Considering that the RTS element really is the bulk of the game, you’d better learn to love it or hate it if you want any long-term value.

So Basically…
Despite all of the venom, I enjoyed playing Brutal Legend. The cut-scenes and the beautiful-but-underdeveloped world make it a prime suspect for future DLC. More, although the RTS element doesn’t even come into the top tier of the genre on the console, it’s playable. The diversity of the different classes is fantastic, and the ability to play real-live opponents online might make this a title worth revisiting with some DLC tweaking.

Brutal Legend could’ve used more development and a lot more over world missions, but it’s tough for me to dissuade anyone from buying the game. It really is that charming. Brutal Legend’s reach far surpasses what it actually accomplishes, but for my 60 bucks, I’d rather shoot for ambition than cliché’d perfection.

In this tough economy, Brutal Legend is worth a rental. Depending on what Electronic Arts announces regarding future plans for the game, I’d argue that Brutal Legend is a beautiful failure, but a trip well worth taking…even if there are stumbles along the way. Rock on.

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More about Darksiders:

Featuring the unique art style of legendary comic book artist Joe Madureira, Darksiders puts players in the role of War, one of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. Gamers will explore Earth set 100 years after the biblical Apocalypse, traveling through expansive dungeons, battling demons and angels and striking deals with unsavory characters in an epic quest to restore the balance between Heaven and Hell.

Click here to read the full release

In a time when military first-person shooters have gone the route of stylish arcade action, Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising looks to offer something to military sim purists.  Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis was a PC game developed by Bohemia Interactive Studio and  published by Codemasters in the early 2000’s on PC and later on for the original XBOX.  Back then it was easily one of the better realism based first-person shooters on the market.  Now all of these years later, and after a falling out between developer and publisher, Codemasters themselves developed and release Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising utilizing a different game engine and promising more immersion.  Does this new Operation Flashpoint game rise to the occasion or will it sink to the depths of obscurity?

Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising’s story is a mixture of fact and fiction much like most other military shooters today.  The game is set on an island called Skira, which is based on an actual island called Kiska, but more on that later.  In-game, Skira is  set off of the coast of Japan and is a Russian territory.  Once a previously unknown vastness of gas and oil resources are discovered it becomes a point of contention between Russia and China.  Fighting breaks out over these resources and of rightful ownership of the territory causing Russia to request assistance from America.  The Chinese take over the island and it is the American allies job to retake Skira while Russia forces are busy defending their own borders from Chinese forces.

Daring to be different in a marketplace of arcade-like action games is a bold step for Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising.  Make no mistakes, there will be no successful running and gunning tactics to be had in this game.  At it’s core operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising is a simulation of war.  Tactics, dishing out the proper squad commands, recon, and lots of sneaking from point A to B are the keys to success here.  Or maybe the better way to put it is the key to not dying multiple times.  Unlike other military based games out now all it takes is one good shot to kill you.  You are not a Super Soldier or some action hero here.  Get shot in the head, you’re restarting at the last checkpoint.  Get shot in the leg, forget about sprinting.  And there’s even a dynamic in which players must dress wounds to save themselves from bleeding to death.

Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising puts a decent amount of  features on the plate for gamers, some executed well and some not so well.  Squad tactics are accessed via a branching command ring.  Proper use of the command ring takes a little time getting used to for those not up on military lingo.  There’s the usual Rules of Engagement, Defend, Assault, and other useful commands.    They work good and fine most of the time, but there are a few A.I. flubs that occur from time to time.  But once players get the hanf of it all they will be flanking enemies and taking objectives with ease.  Objectives come in the form of primary and secondary objectives, the latter not necessary to be completed to pass a mission.  With the massive landscape of Skira to traverse during missions players will be tempted to wander about the island trying to see if they can find invisible walls.  Unfortunately, such exploration brings forth no fruit as enemies only seen to appear in areas specific to the current mission being played.  This takes away from the idea that Skira is a persistent game world that’s alive without the player’s interaction.  Weapons come in a good variety and all have a different and realistic feel to them.  Unfortunately, players cannot tweak or modify their weapon loadouts prior to a mission.  Instead the player is left to their default loadout unless they can find the other weapons on dead bodies of weapon’s caches found on the island terrain.  The lack of options like these are somewhat of a no-no in today’s gaming and hopefully Codemasters’ recently announced patch will fix this among other issues.  Vehicles are plentiful in Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising and come in 50 varieties of land, water, and air.  Jump in a vehicle and squadmates will all pile in as well for the ride.  Vehicles are fun to use, but tend to have awkward control physics.  This may be part due to the fact that the game run on the Ego engine, an enhanced version of the Neon engine which ran Colin Mcrae: DiRT.  Not a bad transition for a racing game engine to a military sim.

As before mentioned, Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising was developed on the Ego engine.  Graphically, the game looks good and runs pretty smoothly.  Character models are well made, but textures could use some work in places.  Vehicles out of everything could stand some visual polish.  Soldiers look authentic and animate well, but when seen up close it’s very noticeable that most models look exactly alike.  A truckload of Marines will have twins sitting beside one another.  The same goes for NPCs in the villages on the island.  There’s really no good reason for this type of thing by today’s gaming standards.  Guns and the reloading animations are authentic as they are not quick and will make the player wary of reloading with half a clip in the middle of a firefight.  Explosions and fire effects do look good in-game.  But the real star of the Ego engine is the island of Skira itself.  Codemasters took the actual island of Kirska and recreated its topology in-game for Skira.  So this fictional island share the exact same landscape as it’s real-life counterpart.  Lighting effects are really good and random weather effects also come into play.  Sound effects for the soldiers, guns, and environments are all topnotch.  Firing off the weapons or the sound of a bullet entering and exiting a skull never sounded so good.  At the end of the day Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising’s audio and visual presentation is a mixed bag that’s way more good than bad.

Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising is a bold effort in a market of military games based solely on bang-for-the-buck action.  It’s a good game that will have it’s dedicated fanbase at the end of the day, but with more popular military shooters out it will have to put up a strong fight.  The random bugs that do occur from time to time are not game breakers as much as they are minor annoyances.  Multiplayer could stand some revamping as it does not feature any form of matchmaking at all.  Also, there is only 4-on-4 deathmatch, assault, or co-op in multiplayer.  With such a large terrain one would expect no less than a 16 player cap in this game.  Even with the gripes previously stated about the game, players will not find another tactical military shooter, at least on consoles, that offer the amount of realism offered in Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising.  Obviously, this game isn’t for everyone as casual gamers may turn their noses up to it for a more explosion action-fest of a game.  But for those who love realism, tactics, careful planning to complete objectives, and have the patience to play the game the way intended Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising might just be the military sim they’ve long waited for.

Let’s just be honest, the Need for Speed franchise has gotten a bit stale as of late. The series was beginning to feel like Madden, it seemed like you were getting one of the previous games from the series with a few new features and content. Typically that came in the form of new models of sports cars and some shiny new graphical techniques. Need for Speed: Shift has broken that mold and created a new foundation that EA will most likely build upon until there is no room to build anymore. The huge change in gameplay? Realism.

Though part of the fun of my previous favorite NFS game, Need For Speed: Most Wanted was the ridiculously over the top driving action, Need for Speed: Shift contains at least as much action if not, more. True, the action may not be the same as in that previous title, but in more of a SPEED TV’s GT kind of way. Gone are the driving off of platforms only to fall 50 feet and land your car full speed to evade police and make shortcuts. Cars don’t fly in Need for Speed: Shift, though you most likely will see a few wrecks that would make someone who gets shot out of a canon for a living cringe.

Also, gone are the ridiculous power slides and full 360 turns while maintaining top speed. Apparently in the new NFS universe the laws of physics apply somewhat. Need for Speed: Shift is the first game I have played that conveys the feeling of weight transfer in a vehicle. This is achieved by the camera movements in the cockpit view and the blurred screen that shortly follows to simulate disorientation. These subtle camera movements are impressive as they simulate the driver moving in the seat from side to side or the lunge forward as the weight transfers from the rear suspension to the front during a head on collision. No other game does this on the level Need for Speed: Shift does right now. Just having that cockpit immersion, while seemingly ridiculous or distracting at times, is note worthy.

Though the game can be played from tradition hood views and behind the car views, you really are missing out if you don’t experience the cockpit view. While race games have modeled the outside of vehicles for many years now the individual interiors of cars is something that began with current gen systems. Need for Speed: Shift models every car interior from the drivers seat to the dash board, and passenger seat all the way down to stereo and gauges, all of which work by the way. In some vehicles you may even find yourself using these dashboard gauges instead Heads Up Display. For the racing vets you’ll probably just rely on the sound of the motor but it’s still cool to see.

The motors sound incredible, with the sound being great, period. Well maybe not the music but who really expects that anyway. From the tires squealing to the suspension bottoming out, this game is aurally immersive. More impressive than the individual sounds are the way the whole cacophony of them come together to create a sense of violence and struggle between maintaining speed and control. All this sucks you that much deeper into the experience and exhilaration of being a race car driver.

Need for Speed: Shift is a bit loose as far as handling goes and does allow a somewhat arcade driving style to work with all the assists on, but its understandable that the developer had a desire to make the game more accessible. If anything this allows a player to grow with Need for Speed: Shift and perhaps begin cutting the assists back as they progress through the game. There’s plenty of time to improve as well.

Need for Speed: Shift throws you right into a race to gauge your skill and then even recommends driving assists. From there you start out as usual in a mildly spirited machine and race in the first of several tiers of racing events to lead you to the big leagues so to speak, the NFS World Tour. Races have a nice bit of variety too from ‘run what ya brung’ to drifting events, car rivalries, nemesis challenges, and closed class races. The difficulty of opponents does seem to ramp up as things go along but the AI has a remarkably human feel to it. Opponents make mistakes, crash into each other, and even drive off the track at random moments. It’s nice to actually play a racer where the AI isn’t perfect, where that guy you been chasing and can’t catch may actually mess up.

Need for Speed: Shift is easily the most fun I’ve had playing a racing game in a couple of years. The upgrades and tuning provides that aspect that the tinkerers and car fanatics always enjoy. The races are both unpredictable and frenetic, while feeling more rewarding and skillful than any NFS title has been to date. Whether you’re a fan of the NFS series or Gran Turismo you will be able to appreciate what Need for Speed: Shift does. Big props to Slightly Mad Studios for taking over the game and breathing some new life into the dated franchise.

Bioware and Electronic Arts have announced the ship date for Mass Effect 2. Previously expected to be an early 2010 release, fans may not have known exactly HOW early in 2010 the game was going to hit retail. Today’s announcement points the ship date at January 26, 2010 on both Xbox 360 and PC.

The announcement also carried news that there will be exclusive in-game items made available to those who pre-order the title. Gamestop customers will recieve an armor set with increased run speed and personal shields as well as a weapon, while other retailers will give an armor set that helps with negotiations in dialogue trees.

More info as it breaks.

With that, the launch trailer for Dragon Age: Origins was released today. Dragon Age: Origins releases in North America on November 3 for PC and Xbox 360 with a November 17 release on PS3.

In the ‘Totally Insane’ FreeFlow Combat map, players’ will be tested to their fullest as scores of escaped lunatics bear down upon BATMAN as they make their escape through the asylum’s secure records facility. These fast-moving foes will challenge all but the most practiced players, with quick reactions and expert timing needed to fend off wave upon wave of insane inmates, bent on taking down the DARK KNIGHT. In the ‘Nocturnal Hunter’ Invisible Predator map, players take on a wholly different approach, practicing their predatory skills to remain in the shadows, utilizing the Arkham watchtowers and Batman’s arsenal of gadgets to gain the upper hand on The Joker’s army of goons patrolling below.

When asked about the Western release, it was stated that Square Enix thinks the title may hit other shores within 6-8 months.

Japanese fans may be interested to hear that a PS3/Final Fantasy XIII hardware bundle is planned. No word of a Western release of the bundle was announced.

More details as they’re released.

While there have been no real details released yet, the title has been announced as a 2010 release and will ship on both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. More details as they’re released.