Microsoft's Kinect Nat Geo TV aims to both educate and entertain, much like the long-forgotten edutainment titles of yore. Is the combination of live-action footage and motion-controlled minigame interaction a good way to learn? Yes, but the co-op could use a bit of work.
The Far Cry series has always pushed computers to their brink, generating some truly impressive visuals that rival even Crysis back in the day. Ubisoft have revealed the system requirements for Far Cry 3, including the minimum, recommended and the OMG LOOK WHAT MY COMPUTER DOES setting.
With Dance Central 3 arriving in a few weeks and a console bundle that includes Dance Central 2 trickling into stores right now, a lot of gamers will soon be in need of Dance Central DLC. Harmonix knows this, and so they've just launched a massive song sale. Not only does this one feature several new packs, but tons of individual songs are on sale for the first time ever. See the full list and a developer diary video after the break.
Robot Entertainment just announced today that they will be releasing their second booster pack for Orcs Must Die! 2 tomorrow (September 26th). Entitled Family Ties, the DLC will offer a hefty amount of new stuff for orc slayer fans.
With epic special editions of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 here and a very reserved trailer there, Treyarch reveals a couple of screenshots of the zombie’s players be in close-quarters with in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2’s enhanced "Zombies" mode. It's the least they can give us before the game’s upcoming November 13th release date.
Borderlands 2's Badass Rank is a brilliant addition to the game. It's similar to an Achievement or Trophy system, but it acutally does something. Unlike a 100k gamerscore or a trophy count, the Badass Rank adds several small but satisfying stat bonuses to all of a player's Borderlands 2 characters. It's something that's built up over the course of dozens of hours of playing the game. I'm sure many of you have become quite familiar with the system.
Saints Row: The Third was one of the most enjoyable titles of 2011. This was a sandbox game that shrugged off any notion of logic or mortality (or morality) and went for pure, unadulterated fun. The sex and violence was over the top and campy enough to work. Add a second player into the mix and you've got yourself a party. SR:TT was a big hit for THQ, and they offered a steady amount of DLC to keep players coming back for more.
Star Trek Generations is a board game that has many appealing elements. It is based on the revamped Star Trek movie universe, and was created by Reiner Knizia, one of the most successful board game designers of all time. Expeditions includes detailed miniatures for the crew of the Enterprise, as well as the ship itself, and even a Klingon vessel. These minis use the “Clix” system for tracking damage and changing stats. Best of all, it is a fully cooperative game!
Arcen Games has a solid track record for co-op gamers. With all three of their major releases now supporting co-op play (AI War, Tidalis, and A Valley Without Wind) - it should come as no surprise their next game will also support co-op play. Called Shattered Haven, Arcen's next game continues the trend that each title they tackle is vastly different from the previous. This time the game is being touted as an action adventure with some rogue-like qualities.
The world and its dog may be playing Borderlands 2 this week, but please note that there are other co-op games still out there. You can take your fancy graphics and 4 player co-op and I raise you old school graphics and 6 player co-op with X Men Arcade on XBLA; reduced to 400 Microsoft Points for one week only as of Wednesday 26th September.
More video footage of the alpha phase of upcoming MMO/FPS zombie-thriller, War Z, has surfaced, showcasing some good use of defensive tactics to survive in an apocalyptic world. War Z is the first MMO, sandbox style zombie game to feature an open world, with no emphasis on a set storyline or even character classes.
Starhawk, the "build and battle" third-person shooter, is about to become much more accessible. The space western will be available for digital download on the PSN tomorrow. There will even be three ways to buy the game: The full title can be purchased for $39.99, the multiplayer portion of the game is priced at $19.99, and PlayStation Plus Members will be able to download the single player campaign for free.
