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Uploading for: 4.01.09

• Rumor Mill: Blizzard teaming up with an unlikely company?
• Call of Juarez - Bound in Blood first hand look!

Mass Effect 2 Pops In At GDC 2009!

Pretty much all our readers know that I might be the biggest Mass Effect fan out there. I mean, I have a huge framed poster of it on my office wall which greets you as you walk in, I played the game (all the way through) three times, and I'm constantly posting on any relevant news pertaining to all things Mass Effect. It's without surprise that Mass Effect 2 made an appearance at this years GDC just a day ago! At Bioware's panel discussion they surprised everyone by unveiling never before seen tech-demo video of the improvements they have made to the overall battle structure. Basically, they are making a ton of improvements based on fan feed back and general concerns that the first game brought about. Here's the cruddy videos of what Bioware was showing off:

Editors Note: Here's a link to the MTV Multiplayer Blog in which describes in detail everything that Biowares GDC panel covered: Mass Effect 2 Panel

Left 4 Dead Sells A Bunch

Being the Left 4 Dead fans that we are here, this news comes to us as no surprise. The game is one of the best multi-player shooters to come around in about a decade or so...so when we see sales figures that are this impressive we just sit back and say..."told ya so." Here's the quick news story LA Gaming News Blog released:

"Valve's co-op zombie title Left 4 Dead has sold over 2.5 million copies since it's November release, Michael Booth--project lead for the title--revealed today. The numbers include both the PC and Xbox 360 releases, but omits sales from Valve's digital distribution platform Steam, which I'm guessing is a lot. [3.26.09]"

That's one hell of an impressive number for a new FPS I.P. Rarely do games sell that much let alone garner a fan base that is a rabid as a frothing at the mouth Raccoon! Go slay some zombies!

-GAME HARD-

DOWN FOR MAINTENANCE

"That's Not What I Look Like, I Swear!"

Hi Guys and Gals, we are currently down for Maintenance. Basically, I'm looking at some design restructuring as well as some color changes. Nothing will be implemented until the end of April, but seeing as though G-Blogger is scheduled for a planned "outage" this afternoon I felt now was the best time to fool around with some good old HTML Code!

On The Horizon:

• Fallout 3 The Pitt DLC Review
• Peggle Delux Review
• A Minor Plethora

Warp 9 Will Be Back Up & Running at: 1:00am (eastern time)

-GAME HARD-

New Single Player Expansion For Gears 2

The studs over at Epic are at it once again! This itty-bitty nugget of news comes straight from the News for Gamers website late last night. Supposedly, the below statement came from the Epic Forums and holds some validity. Epic was quick to respond: "no comment"

Here's the official statement from N4G.com

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"A member of the Gears of War forums found out what seems to be a new Campaign for Gears of War 2 on the japanese Xbox live Marketplace.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Imminent (Confirmed announcement at GDC) EVIDENCE Okay, looks like we have SP (single player) content for Gears 2 coming up, with an announcement literally on the horizion at GDC. The evidence first sprung up on the Japanese marketplace..." [N4G]

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Take it for what you will. All I know is that if there is more single player campaign action coming our way...I'll be one happy camper!

-GAME HARD-

Stories Uploading For 3/25/09

• Street Fighter IV's Championship Patch Right Around The Corner!
• Fallout 3 'The Pitt' DLC Pulled From XBL
• Review of Peggle Deluxe on XBLA

Aliens FPS Still a Longshot!

Rumored to have the kibosh slapped on it, Aliens: Colonial Marines seems to have emerged once again to grace the "spotlight." Having been following this game/development cycle I can honestly say I don't know what to think of this story. Sega has stated multiple times that they have discontinued the develop on their FPS Aliens game but every once in a while a story like this arises and stirs the proverbial Rumor-Pot yet again.

"SegaNerds.com writes: "The last time we heard about Aliens: Colonial Marines, Sega had delayed it until next year and was possibly reviewing whether they'd even release the game altogether. However, according to UK cheats magazine Powerstation, the game may actually hit store shelves after all. In its March issue, the magazine teased that it will have a guide for Colonial Marines in its April issue. And before you scream "April Fools!?!?," our tipster who's a longtime Powerstation subscriber, says the magazine has never published an April Fools joke before..."

HERE'S A REALLY CRAPPY PICTURE OF THE "SUPPOSED" ARTICLE

I'm tired of following this games history....real tired. Anyways, here's The Initial Link To The Original Source of the Story: Aliens Colonial Marines News

-GAME HARD-

Resident Evil 5 Reviewed!

Last week saw the release of probably one of the biggest games of 2009 in Resident Evil 5. For all the hype that surrounded this game and all the chatter about it on forums and gaming sites, to put it bluntly: RE5 just doesn't live up to it. Sure, it's a great game but to call it "the best Resident Evil game ever" is simply nonsensical. Pretty graphics, a decent (albeit different) control scheme and some pretty cool looking zombies make for a good one-two punch. It's just a shame that combo isn't followed up with a knock out 'hay-maker' that puts RE5 in a league of it's own.

Hows' about we start with good? From a graphical standpoint, RE5 is amazing. Since I have owned a 360 (roughly 3 years now) I have come across and played a few graphically intense games. However, it wasn't until I popped this disc in the tray that I noticed how much 'tork' the XBox really packs. To put it bluntly: this game looks amazing! The character models are so good that in some instances you actually wonder, "are these actors or CG' animations? The environments are also extremely well crafted. They range from small engulfed regions that act as "frenzy zones," (i.e. places where the zombies are bunched together and enclosed in set structures) to gigantic landscapes enriched with swamps, run-down mill yards and even dust clattered city-scape's. As a whole, everything in this game is beautifully rendered and sets the "realism" bar higher than ever.

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One quick high point I wanna hit on is your partner in the game, Sheeva. She's actually really handy! Yes, she more or less "hordes" all the ammunition if you dont act fast but her aim is spot on, she's great eye candy, and yes...she can kick some serious ass. Generally speaking, she really does help out in a lot of situations; especially when you've been downed by an enemy. Actually, come to think of it, the A.I. in this game are really good. They will flank you, run you down, and come up with pretty intuitive ways to break your mentality.

As many Warp 9 schmo's already know by now, Sound FX are an extremely big pet-peeve of mine. If the SFX aren't good it takes away from the atmospheric tone that every other aesthetic function creates. Machine guns sounding like BB guns, explosions that lack thunder, all these things can cause harm to the overall experience and I'm happy to announce that RE5 steers clear of these gripes. One of the coolest things about this game happens to be one of the smallest intricacies; the ambient noises! You will generally be extremely satisfied with how the weapons sound and all other subsequent artillery, however, you will be amazed at the background sounds. The zombie growls, the distant gun shots, the approaching footsteps ... all these beautifully crafted SFX are used perfectly and install a sense of realism that only Resident Evil fans have come to appreciate (and expect).

OK, you ready for the negatives? I'm not going to sugar coat this so beware FANBOYS. Resident Evil 5's story is about as bland as a brick wall. Remember how radical and ahead of its' time RE4 was? The twists and turns nearly made you fall off your seat. RE5, not so much. Sure you have a couple of mediocre plot twists but they're about as uninspired as a pot-head looking for a job. The games setting (Africa) alone should have been a melting point of story board ideas but it falls short of anything amazing.

Ultra Wiki Synopsis: "The two playable characters are Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar. The game takes place roughly ten years after the events of the original Resident Evil. The story will explore Chris' life during the ten year interval between the two games. During the game's events, he is a member of a group known as Bio-terrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA), and sent to investigate a terrorist threat of Umbrella's weapons in an African desert area in Kijuju, that serves as the game's setting."

The last point I want to hit on briefly is the tag "survival horror" that Resident Evil has come to acquire over the years. past games have been devilishly scary at moments and have genuinely been horror games. RE5 is in no way shape or form a horror game nor is it scary. It seems as if the directors of the game wanted to streamline the "horror" aspects and go for a more action feel. Sure there's more guns and fire fights but what happened to dogs jumping through windows at you, ravens flying out of nowhere and zombies appearing next to you when you least expect it? To me, RE5 just didn't live up to its name in more ways than other.

All in all, Resident Evil 5 is a good game. The core mechanics are good, the graphics are beautiful and the action is always right around the corner. I just wish they could have spruced up the story and perhaps Incorporated a more horror feel to the story board. But who am I kidding? Capcom (developer) is going to do what ever they want seeing as though the series has generally sold over a million with each installment...and I can't complain!

Resident Evil 5 Gets a 7.5 out of 10

-GAME HARD-

MadCatz Producing More Street Fighter IV Sticks

With the recent release of Street Fighter IV, the demand for actual fighting sticks (arcade style sticks) has been so high that both MadCatz and Hori [official makers of pro-series sticks] sold out in less than a week. So basically, if you didn't pre-order yours about a year and a half ago you were S.O.L. Ebay was sold out of both the Hori line of sticks as well as the MadCatz version, Amazon was already back ordered and just about every other website based store was completely diminished. The only way to get one was to pay a steep shipping price to have one imported from Japan; which is what my wife did for my birthday! Well, rejoice fellow SF players, for MadCatz has taken the "bull by the horns" and ramped up yet another shipment of their perennial joystick! Now, if only Hori would follow suite there would be an ample amount for all fighting game enthusiasts. Credit G4 for this nugget of joystick bliss.

"According to Capcom, MadCatz is hard at work producing more Street Fighter IV official arcade sticks which should be ready for release in April. Unfortunately, they only expect to be able to fill back-orders by the end of April so this story is more of a: "You should have ordered yours already." Not: "Get ready for arcade sticks." Hopefully, MadCatz will ditch the "Limited Edition" and keep producing them as the demand is off the charts. I currently use a HORI Fighting Stick EX2, but I would like to upgrade to the Tournament Stick now that I know Street Fighter IV's online mulitplayer works."

Ever wonder why you get pWned when playing Street Fighter IV via Live or the PSN? Perhaps its due to the lackluster style you bring, maybe it's due to your skill level, or maybe it's because your facing yours truly. All gripes aside, have you ever looked down at the controller and said to yourself, "this controller bl*ws!" I think its time to take a closer look at slapping down some cash for a professional joystick! It has increased my game ten-fold and helped me unlock a whole new side of Street Fighter IV...

-GAME HARD-

More Bioshock 2 Details Surface!

Editor's Note: I apologize for the sloppy lay-out of this post. The images provided to us were not formatted properly nor were they sized correctly.

Bioshock 2 explodes on the news circuit for the second time in less than a month! Is it just me or is this game going to be big or what? Well, at this rate with all the news 2K has dropped we can certainly expect a stellar sequel to 2007's game of the year. As all of our readers already know (or should know by now) Bioshock [one] was pretty much our favorite game in 2007 and still holds rank on both SS Soulstealer's top ten favorite games of all time as well as mine. Here's to hoping that the sequel keeps pace! Credit our buddies over at N4G.com for the update as well as 2K's (Developer) official Bioshock website.

"The sequel takes place 10 years after the original (Not a prequel like previously rumored) You play the very first Big Daddy prototype and still patrol Rapture. The city did not crumble after all. It reached an equilibrium thanks to the Big Sister. A once Little Sister that escaped with Dr. Tenenbaum in the first Bioshock. Big Sister has returned to Rapture for unknown reasons beside maintaining order. She has captured little girls from all around the world and transformed them into Little Sister. Your role in Bioshock 2 is to either Harvest or Adopt these little sisters and solve the Big Sister mystery. You may be an all powerful Big Daddy, but Big Sister does not mess around. She will protect her city, at all costs. The game wont just be a solo adventure game either. There will be multiplayer of some sort, without compromise to the single player campaign."

-GAME HARD-

1st Impressions of Resident Evil 5

So far, my journey into Resident Evil 5 has been exceptionally good. It certainly has been a while since I traversed the RES. world (Res 4 to be exact) but in all honesty you (or I for that matter) can't really tell. Now, I know I don't want to review the game just yet and I certainly don't want to toss any spoilers out; I did however want to give a brief synopsis of my gut reaction to the first couple of hours of gameplay. So sit back, read on and watch out for the zombie apocalypse!

I want to hit on two points and two points only in this post.

1. The gameplay mechanics


2. The Graphics/CG Visuals

Lets start with the gameplay. If you played Resident Evil 4 on the GameCube (or any system it came out on for that matter) than you will be happy to know that the control scheme has pretty much stayed the same. At the surface, RES5 may seem like an over the shoulder, 3rd person, run and gun shooter. In some ways your right. However, at the very core of this games residual lies an extremely potent strategy game. Yup, I said strategy game. Just like all the rest of the Resident Evil games you need to always be prepared for "whats to come," not "what has happened." There is no automatic ammo replenish at the begiining of each stage and there sure as hell isnt any helth restoring going on. You need to lay out a highly strategic resource managment audendum to even get through the first level. You'll always be asking yourself, "OK, should I use this health spray now or save iot for the next level? Should I be buying shotguns or sub-machine guns." This type of managment is a pivotal part and if you dont take the time before each chapter begins, your as good as dead. Use your items wisely and watch your ammo extremely close! This 'aint no 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand!

The second thing I want to talk about is the graphics. Since I have owned a 360 there have been maybe a handful of games that have made me go, "Damn, this is pretty!" Bioshock, Mass Effect, Gears, Eternal Sonata are just a handful of the games that are visually stunning. I can officially say to you that Resident Evil 5 is probably the best looking game I have played yet on the XBox 360. In the first two minutes of the game I actually said out loud, "Holy sh*t, this is amazing!" The colors are beautifully implemented into the African setting in which the story takes place in, there are absolutely no texture bumps or breaks, you can go pretty much anywhere you want without the hassle of invincible walls (big pet-peeve of mine) and the weapons look and feel so real that its almost as if you really can feel the 'tork' and recoil of each individual shot fired. In the full review look for an in depth look at not only the weaponry of the game but the Sound FX that accompany them, which as you all know is my second biggest thing I look for in games!

My time thus far with Res5 (roughly 3 hours or so) has set an extremely satisfying taste in my mouth. It's the taste of zombie brains, drool from dilapidated zombie dogs and lots and lots of ammunition smoke. It's a delicacy to us Resident Evil fans I tell ya! Look for the full review come Friday!

-GAME HARD-

To Buy or Not To Buy

For the past few weeks, as you all probably already know, there hasen't been any HUGE releases (in regards to games). Sure you got your sports games like MLB 2K9 and you overtly exploited rap games like 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand (which I had a great time playing by the way) and you even got some XBLA games that look somewhat promising. Yet, non of them are screaming to be bought with hard earned cash (or credit). However, there just so happens to be a game recently released that I have had my eye on for some time. It just barely got beat out for the 6th spot on my "Most anticipated games of 2009" list. So, technically, my symposium here is to get an overall opinion from the masses in regards to my interest in actually BUYING Resident Evil 5. Shall we?

It's no secrete that the last Resident Evil game (released on the Gamecube) set some seriously high standards for not only games in general but for the series as well. RE4 pocketed a 9.8 MetaCritic score and racked up just about every type of award you can possibly think of (Game of the years comes to mind right off the bat). It was no doubt an amazing game in which I had hours and hours of fun with; having played through it twice. So RE5 should be a shoe-in for me to purchase, correct? Well, this is where my conundrum plays a significant role. RE4 was short... and I mean real short. Which makes me pontificate (my dictionary toilette paper has officially come in handy) the longevity of of RE5.

A good chunk of reviewers have already stated that it isn't going to tax you time schedule too much; meaning it isn't that long. This, to me, is a make or break problem.Sixty dollars is a lofty selling point for a short game no matter how good it is. With that said, RE5 has gotten some seriously good grades thus far [Meta: 9.5 / Aggregated: 9.6]. Graphically speaking alone, Res. 5 looks amazing. I played the demo and had a pretty good time with it although I felt like the demo could have been a bit longer (pet-peeve of mine). I guess what it boils down to is me just "manning-up" and spending the 60 bones on this game.

One upside to the whole thing is I have a 100 dollar gift certificate to best buy and can use that to purchase it. Or could I wait and see if there are any good RPG's coming out in the next few weeks...Ahhh, this is really throwing a monkey wrench into my Monday morning. Let me know by Private message or on the comments thread what you all think.

-GAME HARD-

Another Gears 2 Update and NEW MAPS!!!

Here we are again with another update for Gears of War 2 that addresses some multiplayer issues. Maybe this time things will be fixed for good (probably not). Personally, I felt that after title update 2 the game got worse for some reason and the game has taken a bit of a backseat to Fallout 3 and Street Fighter IV, but I'm ready to give it another go on the multiplayer circuit. The update and maps will arrive 3/24 and 3/31 respectively.

To be brief, the updates will address these issues...

There will be a new ranking system that will have 100 levels of exp and several exp based achievements to go along with this new system. My thoughts - this is good since the old ranking system was pretty much a mystery. The best part is quitters will be docked exp....YES!

Speaking of quitters, they will now be replaced by bots even during public matches which will at least help maintain some balance.

Some of the maps will see better weapon spawning. Subway was notorious for this. Basically one team would always get the power weapons since they spawned on that side of the map. This was actually really annoying. It was if the power weapons were following the other team around.

The update will also fix some more glitches related to "meleeing" (is that even a word?) through walls and weapon sliding to name a few.

Perhaps my favorite update is that smoke grenades will only down you for 2 seconds now no matter where you are. Before the update, if you got smoked on some stairs or ledge, you would slide down the stairs and be down for like 5 seconds. Lets hope this works out.

The Snowblind Map Pack will include 4 new maps. Grindyard, Underhill, Courtyard, and the beloved, although reworked, Fuel Depot. Yup, you guessed it...more snowy levels. No price has yet been set for these maps but I'm pretty sure it is just gonna be one big gang-bang by MS.

Head over to Gearsorwar.com for the full skinny on the update.

Gamespot also has a nice interview with Rod Fergusson from Epic about the update and maps so head here to check it out. Yes, it is actually worth reading even though Gamespot accepts bribes for their reviews...only kidding.

-GAME HARD-

Bioshock 2 Update

If any of you have been over to the Bioshock 2 Teaser Site you may remember the clues about the odd shaped footprints that were found on the beach. Well, it is now confirmed that Bioshock 2 will have Big Sisters. They are along the same lines of the Big Daddy's from the original, but I must admit, they are quite a bit creepier. April's Game Informer cover was revealed a few days ago and had a full shot of the scary incarnation. It sent shivers right down my spine and you can go get your own shivers right here.

-GAME HARD-

Weekly Street Fighter 4 Update

As I lay waist to a proverbial "newbie" on XBox Live late last night I got to thinking: I still haven't unlocked every character in the game yet! It's not because I can't or its too hard, it's just...well, I've been lazy with that aspect of the game. Ive been to wrapped up on playing ranked matches and getting through the challenge stages that it just never seemed that prevalent to do. Nothing really serious I guess but as I delved deeper into my thought process I remembered that I have actually unlocked a good chunk of them; just not the two hardest: Akuma and Gouken. It was time, people. It was time to take up the challenge of unlocking the two hardest dudes in the game...and guess what? I did it in one sitting each (i.e. went through the single player mode twice and unlocked each character on each play through) and I couldn't be happier.

Now, I know this doesn't seem like a daunting and epic task (and it isn't by any means) but the fact that I now have the entire roster of characters available at my very 'whim' is kind of therapeutic in a way. It's as if I can now take a deep breath and not worry about being "that guy" who still hadn't unlocked every fighter. No longer will I be the dude who shows up to an XBox Live game without the entire gambit of fighters at my disposal. However, in all actuality, the un-lockable characters (with the exception of Akuma) aren't that very good to use if your looking to climb the pro-ladders. With that said, it's still nice to be able to use anyone in the game at any time. Yay.

Have you guys unlocked everyone yet? How about gotten through the challenge modes on the hard difficulty? Let us know who you used, how you achieved it and how long it took you (just for comparison notes). There's so much to do in this game that I can honestly say Street Fighter IV has officially become my favorite fighting game of all time...Yup, I went there. 'NUFF SAID!

-GAME HARD-

Halo 3 Tourny Site Surfaces

Halo 3 just happens to be one of the largest (if not largest) community of hardcore gamers looking to rack up wins on the pro-ladders. In the past, its been a pretty rough road for anyone not already on the pro circuit or a member of the MLG (Major League Gaming) to actually "compete" in professionally sanctioned matches (i.e. games that actually count professionally and are tracked by affiliated officials). Well, all the nay-sayers can now rejoice...for reconlive.net has been made for the people by the people (Halo players that is).

Reconlive.net is a website in which revolves around the world of tournement play for Halo 3. Below is their MOTTO, TOURNY STRUCTURE, & PRIZE LIST outlined by the owner and moderators of the site.

Quick Link To Webite: ReconLive

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Welcome! To ReconLIVE! We're glad that you're interested in participating in our tournaments, or just looking to be a part of an amazing community. The main purpose of this website is to host online Halo 3 Tournaments over Xbox Live for our members! I'm sure everyone has questions on how we plan to make this work, so you've come to the right page.If you have ever participated in an online tournament, some things will definitely sound familiar. Our mission with this website is to make the playing field as fair as possible in an online situation.

How our tournaments work:For most Tournaments, we will have to do a custom game due to Forge being so limited in options. When this is the case, the staff member will be a PINK ELITE. When the match starts, the staff member will immediately run to a spot to stay out of the way of the players. In 7 person FFA and 3v3 Team Slayer, we can host a Forge game (Live Streaming anyone?) How this will work: A member of our staff will host a FORGE game on Halo 3 (FFA, 3v3 TS) and be on a separate team from the opposing teams (or players, for FFA). The staff member will not only be the host of the game but will be the only person that can change into "Forge" mode. This allows the staff member to observe the match and keep an eye out for people who try to use map and other various game exploits. Cheating is a ZERO tolerance rule on ReconLIVE.By the staff member hosting the game, no individual has the "host advantage". Think of him/her as a dedicated server.

Prizes:As our website grows, and more tournaments are being hosted, our prizes will only get better. In the beginning, we plan on awarding the winners with 800 & 1600 MS Point cards and 3 month Xbox Live Gold cards. These will be easy to send due to them only being codes (physical products down the line are certainly a priority). We want to gain trust with our users and become a well-known name in the Halo 3 community!

I was cheated in a Tournament!If cheating occurs during a match and somehow goes unnoticed by the Staff member, please continue to play until the game has ended. At that time, you may notify the staff member so he/she can review the game in the Theatre. If any of the teams player(s) is found cheating, they will be disqualified immediately. We recommend when entering a tournament, to only enter with trusted people or friends. If any member of the team is found to be cheating, the entire team has the possibility of being disqualified from the tournament. Yes, we take this seriously.
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It sounds as if these guys have the "stuff" down. Prizes, national ranking systems, live streams of all the tournaments taking place as well as being MLG affiliated make RECONLIVE.NET the place to go to get your Halo 3 fix...and to try to pWn your way to the top of the rankings board! Good luck, I'll probably see you over there!

-GAME HARD-

BioShock 2 Teaser Site Created

Bioshock (one) will most likely go down as one of the most influential games of our generation. Hell, who knows...it could go down as one of the greatest of all times. So when developers (2K Marin) of the upcoming sequel create a teaser web site to satiate our effervescent excitement; we flock to it like a pack of rabid seagulls. Credit Thor Thorson of Gamespot for this incredibly big nugget of news but in all reality, me being the enormous Bioshock fan that I am, I would have found this eventually from trolling on the 2K forums...yup, I went there. Enjoy!

"Viral teaser sites are about as fresh an idea as a reality show starring a washed-up celebrity. But that doesn't stop publishers from using them to build buzz for their games. Case in point: BioShock 2: Sea of Dreams, currently in development at 2K Marin. The sequel to the GameSpot 2007 Game of the Year finalist is apparently the subject of Somethinginthesea.com, an oh-so-mysterious Web destination that soft-launched yesterday.

Set to a soundtrack of static-riddled radio transmissions, the site displays a wrinkled world map with a large X marked on the western coast of Ireland. The mark is dated February 20, 1967, seven years after the events of the original BioShock. On the upper right of the map are several photos, notes, and newspaper clippings bearing notations.

One article mentions the discovery of footprints on Lehinch Beach in western Ireland, which were made by something with "metallic soles [that] do not resemble any civilian or military footgear" and has "an unusually long stride." Further down on the page, the article notes recent sightings of "mysterious crimson lights" under the surface of nearby Liscannor Bay. Another article references the recent kidnapping of a local 7-year-old girl by an assailant wearing "a miner's helmet" with "a red light." That said, the articles and pictures state that the kidnappers are "thin" and have feet smaller than that of a regular man--perhaps indicating they are a new type of Big Daddy or a Splicer outfitted with scuba gear.

Anyone familiar with BioShock will recognize that these signs point to one of the lumbering Big Daddy opponents of the first game. Any remaining doubt will be erased by a photo of a homemade Big Daddy doll (top)--the same doll shown in the first official teaser trailer for the game (bottom). The doll's appearance leaves little doubt that Somethinginthesea.com was cooked up in 2K Games' marketing department and will be where more details about the undersea adventure surface.

BioShock 2: Sea of Dreams is currently "destined" to arrive on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC, according to 2K. Tentatively set to hit one or all platforms later this year, the game is the middle part of a planned BioShock trilogy, which will be turned into a film next year by Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski." -Thor Thorson-

I have to say, this is a great web site to visit if your in the mood to be F'd with. I couldn't really tell whats going on except for the fact that supposidly this is where you come to find out all pertannent information in regards to all things Bioshock. Who knows how helpful the site will be in the long run but I'll still be a frequent visitor for sure.

Quick Link To Teaser Site:

Bioshock 2 Site

-Game Hard-

A Minor Plethora Is Back!

After a long stint in the garbage bin, we at Warp 9 have come to the decision that "A Minor Plethora" is back on tap! Technically, it never really went away and this is just a cheap marketing campaign to re-introduce it. Here's the details:

• A Minor Plethora Will Be Published Once A Month.


• Each Article will be composed of two games being spotlighted.


• Each game will be detailed and "run-down" in LIST structure.


• No 'Jhibba-Jabba' - Only straight from the gut reporting.


• No games are safe! All games and their collective genre's will be covered.


• All Editor's here at Warp will participate and have a month assigned to them.

So, to start things off I thought I would showcase a game. A game in which has taken up days...NAY, months of my life without no remorse. SS SoulStealer can attest to this game engulfing my lively-hood for about three months straight while my back was all sorts of messed up. I'm talking about non other than Puzzle Quest!

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords is a game developed by Australian company Infinite Interactive and published by D3 Publisher (One of my favorite developers). The game combines role-playing with strategy and puzzle elements. It utilizes a competitive Bejeweled-style play field to simulate combat and other activities common to role-playing games. The core gameplay in this little game (for the XBox 360, PsP and DS) is where the game shines. When I say that this game was addictive I'm not lying! There's something about incorporating RPG elements into a puzzle game that so engaging and, in my opinion, ahead of its time.

[wiki] Combat in the title is conducted entirely via turn-based puzzle action similar to Bejeweled or Zoo Keeper. The player and the computer-controlled opponent take turns swapping the position of two horizontally or vertically adjacent tiles on a grid to make a row or column of at least 3 like tiles; these tiles are removed with various effects as listed below, and all tiles above them fall to fill in the spaces, with new tiles created at the top of the board. If, by this action, a new row or column of three or more like tiles is formed, this is also removed and the chain can continue indefinitely. An extremely long chain can earn the player additional bonuses. Once either the player or computer opponent runs out of life, the battle is over. Most battles can be re-fought if the player loses, although only those which are part of the main quest need be completed in order to advance the game plot.

The developers of this venerable series also treated XBox 360 owners to a whole new downloadable expansion pack, which bolstered an alarming six additional hours of gameplay! The expansion features 4 new ccharacter classes (Bard, Rogue, Ranger and Warlock), and an expansive new area on the Southern Map containing more than 25 challenging quests, 50 new spells, 40 new magical items and new monsters to combat, as part of the story of Antharg, the Lord of Plague and brother to Lord Bane. Yup, that's a whole lot of "stank" to pile on top of an already masterful puzzle game. The main quest alone (as stated above) took me close to 25+ hours to complete and an additional 5-10 hours of gameplay with the expansion. Now that's getting your money's worth.

With the brand new Puzzle Quest: Galactrix set for release next week things may get a little crazy at my house. Crazy in the sense that if this game is anything near what its predecessor was, I'm in for a very, VERY long gameplay journey. New mechanics, new spells and a whole new story set in outer space? Can you get any better than that?

-GAME HARD-

Riddick Assaults XBox Live

For close to five years now everyone (and their mother's) have been clamoring, yelling, kicking and pushing for a follow up to 2004's sleeper hit: The Chronicles of Riddick - Assault on Butcher's Bay...and rightfully so! The game became one of the most prolific "never heard of" 'sleeper' titles ever to grace the consoles (and PC's). Bolstering a whopping 9.4 on MetaCritic and capturing the blessings of big wig names such as Cliff Blazinski, Michael Pacter and even Billy Gates, Butcher Bay was an instant smash. The follow up/remake of the critically acclaimed first installation hits this year and looks to "up-the-anti" to a whole new level.

Lets cut to the chase here. Assault on Dark Athena is on a lot of gamers radar; hell it's even on mine and I still have yet to play the first one (cue the boo's). I will however get a chance to play the game very soon...like, today. Tigon and Starbreeze (developers) have already released a fully functional demo to Gold XBox Members late last night (Silver Members get it March 11th).

The dashboard description reads: Be Riddick: the most ruthless criminal in the universe. In his latest chronicle, Riddick has been captured by The Dark Athena, a mercenary ship hellbent on eliminating him once and for all. Using his intense hand-to-hand combat skills, explosive firepower, and lethal stealth, Riddick must shut down the maniacal Captain Revas and her deadly crew. When Riddick steps into the darkness, no one is safe.

I couldn't be more excited about this demo. I never got my hands on the original and was always saddened by the fact that a few of my friends had the game, loved it but never let me borrow it. Now, with the release of Assault on Dark Athena I can not only play through the old game but truck through the new game as well...the disc is going to hold both the old game (Escape from Butcher's Bay) as well as the new game (Assault on Dark Athena). Two games on one disc...nothing makes me more happy! Enjoy the demo and let me know what you all think. Oh yeah, the retail version releases on the 24th of April.

-GAME HARD-

Still No ETA On SFIV Patch

Rumors have run ramped for the past week or so (actually, since the release of Street Fighter 4) in anticipation of Capcom's inevitable patch update. Many suggestions have been compiled from forum users, official Capcom members, the general public as well as exec's over at Shoryuken.com. Well, some new information on what exactly the patch update will incorporate have hit news sites...meaning us.

"Capcom previously revealed plans to boost Street Fighter IV's multiplayer mode with a huge free Championship mode expansion shortly after launch but, despite the game having been out for over a week, there's still no ETA on the patch's release. The new patch, as previously reported, is expected to expand the multiplayer portion of the game with an enhanced Tournament matchmaking system, a new points ranking system and the ability to record, play back and upload fight replays. Sounds great, but don't hold your breath because Capcom was still unable to give CVG an estimated release for it this morning." [N4G]

Tourney System? Count me in! This will help out with separating the hard core from the casual player in my opinion thus entailing a more smooth match making system for official "Ranked" matches. Can this game get any better? Knowing the dudes over at Capcom...Probably.

-GAME HARD-

Mortal Kombat Going Bye-Bye?

Just when you think things at Midway can't get any worse, BAM, another gut shot lands! Due to the sheer fact that this has completely ruined my day, I'll let Gamasutra tell you all about the possible demise of one of the greatest fighting franchises ever created...Here we go:

"Troubled publisher Midway is currently considering a sell-off its Mortal Kombat franchise, according to details revealed in new legal documents.According to newly-released court documents, the sale of the franchise is among the milestones Midway is proposing as part of its rescue plan. The publisher is seeking court permission to operate an incentive plan for 29 key employees that would pay bonuses from a pool of $3.75 million to complete these goals.

The court documents also show that Midway is hoping to be able to pay bonuses to its staff for finding a new publishing and distribution deal for Wheelman. A distribution deal with Ubisoft for the Vin Diesel vehicle was made last month, which would unlock a bonus pool of $497,000. Midway stands to gain around $6 million from the deal.Midway filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in February and was subsequently delisted from the New York Stock Exchange. It received court permission to use any funds it has to continue operating and attempt to develop a restructuring plan.

The first Mortal Kombat game was released in arcades in 1992 and has arguably remained Midway’s highest profile franchise ever since. The most recent title was crossover Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, which was released last Christmas to favorable reviews and which had shipped 1.8 million units worldwide as of January 2009. "

There you have it, a heaping pile of turd-pie for your Monday morning! For me, my blood and roots in gaming run deep becasue of certain titles like Mortal Kombat II and Street Fighter II. To hear these words that Midway may just sell off it's most prolific franchise (and biggest cash cow) puts a little damper on my day..perhaps even week or month. Who knows what's really going to happen to the franchise but if it does get sold off there should be a stipulation where the new developer can't go all "soft-core" on us. Damn this sucks.

-GAME HARD-