Vikings: Battle for Asgard
Vikings is set during the time of Odin and Norse mythology, whereby the player takes control of a warrior named Skarin in an area known as Brighthelm. The environment consists of 3 islands each progressively becoming more difficult with altered terrains, although you get to level up during each stage.
Brighthelm has a large amount of locations which the player can liberate. In order for Skarin to liberate each island, he must fight an all out war whereby, Skarin holds the balance between success and failure via commanding air airstrikes from Dragon allies or taking down strategic opponents. Along with this combat feature, there can be hordes of Vikings fighting alongside the player.
The combat system of the game is predominately hack-and-slash style, much like the previous Creative Assembly title, Spartan: Total Warrior, although Vikings is graphically violent and gruesome. It features dismemberment and decapitation along with the ability to blow enemies up using primitive pipe bombs and other explosives. Throughout the game, the player has the ability to raid various Legion strongholds across the map. This can range from infiltrating a lumber mill and rescuing the Vikings held there, (who will help vanquish the Legion patrol units) to an all-out one-man assault against a quarry or storming a tower.
The game will appeal to fans of Conan the Barbarian whom Skarin bears a resemblance to, and Beowulf in terms of the aesthetic and theme of sorcery and Norse mythology.
Vikings: Battle for Asgard, is definitely worth a run through for the dismemberment alone.
2.5 and 5.0 are live
As of 12 hours ago both PS3 firmware 2.5 and PSP firmware 5.0 went live…both are great additions to the sony software line-up…with the PSP store being excellent.
Read two posts down for what you get when you upgrade.
Mirrors Edge is only part 1
Senior Prouducer of Mirrors Edge, Owen O’Brien, has said that we can be expecting a trilogy. Faith, the main character in the first game will also be centered around her in the second.
A level editor for uploading maps is also a possibility for the sequels.
He also explains more about how the simple controls will allow you to do more advanced things than simply jump and crouch.
The entire interview with Owen O’Brien can be found here: Mirrors Edge Interview
Firmware 2.50 coming “soon”.
Eric Lempel, head of Sony’s firmware monkeys, has recently revealed that PS3 firmware version 2.5 is coming out soon. Hopefully it will keep the 2.4 ball rolling with more great features.
From the press release:
- Support for the PS3 Official Bluetooth Headset - we’ve told you about the upcoming Bluetooth Headset and SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation Bundle on the Blog. This latest firmware installment enables High-Quality (HQ) mode, which delivers clear and wide-band online voice chat. On top of that, an added on-screen indicator shows battery status, volume level and use of HQ mode.
- PlayStation Trophies interface enhancements - I know that many of you are busy collecting trophies and raising your PlayStation Trophy level. This update makes sharing and comparing your trophies with your friends even easier. On 1st part of the profile page you’ll see a symbol under level that represents level and the actual percentage towards the next level along with the existing level meter. The level symbol carries over to the trophy comparison screen where you will now be able to see your level, your friend’s level and the percentage towards the next level for both users along with all of the game by game comparison information you see today.
- Friend status – Offline friends on your Friends list will have information below their avatars that will indicate how long it has been since they were last online.
- Video – This update adds the Scene Search feature similar to the feature on the PSP. Activating this feature while viewing a video on the PS3 will break the video up into scenes that you can quickly access by pressing the X button. You can break the videos into one, two or five minute intervals. In addition, you can now choose to have all of the videos under the video section of the XMB play in sequence. Go to Settings then Video Settings to turn this option on.
- PlayStation Store – We’ve added a redeem codes option right on the store to make it easier to redeem your PlayStation Network Cards and promotion codes. In addition, PlayStation Network Sign Up and Account Management have been redesigned.
- Power Save Settings – You can now set your PS3 and wireless controllers to turn off automatically after set periods of inactivity. Go to Settings then Power Save Settings to turn on these features.
- Background Downloading - You now have the option to set the PS3 to turn off automatically after a background download or installation of content has completed. This option is available when you turn off the system from the button under [Users] while content is being downloaded or installed.
- In-game Screenshots - this tool will allow everyone to capture, share and in other words, immortalize their favorite gameplay moments. This will be supported on a game by game basis. Please check back to find out which games will support this feature.
Easily the best part of the update are the power save settings. Getting the big black monolith to turn itself of is great as I like sending myself to sleep with DVDs and the like; it also stops the easily distracted letting the controllers run out of battery. The Trophy ehancements are nice, as the updating of them seems slow and clunky and the PS3 “Gamercards” are very information light. Hopefully it wont be too delayed like the 3.0/PSHome update
Releases for the week of October 12th
Ps3
US Games
- Dead Space
- Blitz II: The League
- FIFA Soccer 2009
- SOCOM: Confrontation (with headset)
- SOCOM: Confrontation (without headset)
- Rock Revolution
- Saints Row 2
- Saints Row 2 Collector’s Edition
- Golden Axe: Beast Rider
EU Games
- PES 2009
- Saints Row 2
- Golden Axe: Beast Rider
- Rapala Fishing Frenzy
Asian Games
- Dead Space
- NBA 2K9
- FIFA Soccer 09
- Facebreaker
Psp
NA Games:
- Cake Mania Baker’s Challenge
- FIFA Soccer 09
EU Games:
- God Of War Platinum
Asian Games:
- Yuusha no Kuse ni Namaikida Or 2
I must it is lovly to see that that us the UK get left behind on the releases front, with no new PSP games, no new Socom or, what seems to be the first in the mutilple AAA game orgasm from now until christmas, Deadspace. At least I wont have to consider buying Cake Mania Baker’s Challenge
Fracture starts off to poor reviews
Attending Leipzig last year, we waited in line for ages to get into the Lucas Arts cinema where the showed us a trailer for The Force Unleashed, and Fracture. Ever since then I hadn’t heard anything else about it until a demo suddenly appeared on the PlayStation Store.
A few sites have reviewed it now, and the outcome isn’t amazing. Metacritic average it at 65, or 6.5/10. Not too pretty. After playing the demo myself I’m unsure if it is so bad as to warrant a 65, but it did seem to try and push quite a few different gameplay elements into one. If anything, the idea of moving the ground around in the way that you do is sort of original for this generation I suppose. We might be checking out the full version later on, but for now we’d reccomend a rent if you’re that keen.
You can also check out the reviews and what they say about Fracture over at Metacritic.
Dead Space IGN Review
IGN.com have reviewed Dead Space, scoring it a 8.7/10. Dead Space is a horror Sci-Fi third person shooter set in space. You play as an engineer who is sent to investagate the lack of communitation on a ship which is designed to harvest planets for their vital resources. When you arrive on the ship, everyone has been masacared by a hoard of aliens and the horror begins.
| 9.0 | Presentation A deep story and incredible atmosphere with tons of horror influences make Dead Space one of those titles that is a great starting point for a franchise. |
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| 9.0 | Graphics Visually striking, everything from the holograms to the Necromorphs is incredible. Pixilation during depressurization and mild slowdown crimp its style. |
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| 9.5 | Sound Voice acting is delivered beautifully, but it’s the sound design that will have you jumping out of your seat and sending shivers down your spine. |
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| 8.5 | Gameplay A strong mix of action and exploration is only hampered by repetitive, though appropriate, backtracking and odd navigation issues. |
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| 8.5 | Lasting Appeal You’ll have to play through the game multiple times to improve your gear and understand the full story. However, not being able to change your difficulty after you beat the game is a bad decision. |
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| 8.7 |
OVERALL (out of 10 / not an average) |
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You can watch IGN’s video review right here:
TGS 2008: F.W 5.00 brings PS Store to PSP
The PSP is finally getting its own proper version of the PlayStation Store. No more of the PC PlayStation Store, PSP Store is just like the PlayStation Store on th PlayStation 3… but on your PSP. The latest firmware update, 5.00, will add the new store to the PSP XMB. The new PS Store will presumably feature trailers and add-ons and stuff like the current store, however it will also get a steady flow of downloadable PSP games, which include the following:
- Yuusha no Kuze ni Namaikida or2 (16th October 2008)
- Bleach Soul Carnival (23rd October 2008)
- Secret Agent Clank (20th November)
- Patapon 2 (27th November 2008)
- LocoRoco 2 (4th December 2008)
- Resistance Retribution (TBA)
Japan will be getting the update on October 15th, as usual there is no US date and certainly no European date!
Source: PS3Fanboy
PS3 Alone in the Dark subtitled “Inferno”
Atari have announced today that the PlayStation 3 version of Alone in the Dark (Previously released on PlayStation 2, Wii, and Xbox 360) will be getting it’s own subtitle “Inferno” due to the numerous improvements the game has over the previous versions. Improvements include; Full 360 degree camera control, better overall controls, better inventory (more space, better navigation), better driving scenes, and a brand new action scene that Atari calls “thrilling”.
Click the jump for the full list of improvements and the press release.
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