Overlord's Pre-E3 Prediction #1

Some say it might just be a 'tid-bit' too early to predict anything for this years E3extravaganza. We say, it's never too early to predict announcements for what is being dubbed the biggest event since the very first E3 ever debuted. With the absence of E3 for the past two years it's as if the gaming world has united to demand the return of the REAL E3 (i.e. booth babes, extremely loud music, gaudy key-notes and a small plethora of killer industry gossip). Guess what? Our voices were heard and the return of E3 to its roots will finally take transformation this coming June! I'm predicting big things form this year since developers and studios from all around the world are attending. So, without further adue...here is my first prediction for E3 2009.

Let's just put it right out there with no holds bared. Capcom is going to dominate this years event. With full demos to be shown of Lost Planet 2 (LP1 being one of my fav's from 2007), Bionic Commando and Dead Rising 2, Capcom has just announced it will be unveiling TWO new games at the event as well. This is where my first prediction comes into play. Gazing into my crystal ball, I have come across something strange...something different...something for the Wii. I predict that one of the hush-hush games on tap for an E3 announcement will be a Wii exclusive.

The second unannounced game that Capcom will unveil to the public will go like this: Given Capcom's recent success with old title revivals (Super Street Fighter 2 HD Remix and Bionic Commando, 1942 etc.) they will be dusting off yet another one of their perennial flag ship titles from the past. Perhaps a new Ghosts 'N Goblins game? Or maybe ...JUST MAYBE, we will finally get that Strider game we've all been asking for! Let me tell you this: If it's a new Strider game I think my head will explode (seriously).

So there's my first prediction for E3 2009. Trust me when I say I got some good predictions, I've got some long shot predictions and I also got some way out their-never going to happen-type predictions to0! Stay tuned to Warp9 for more outlandish, balls to the wall E3 coverage. Until then..............

-GAME HARD-

SS SoulStealer's E3 Prediction #1

This should come as no surprise to any of the Warp9 followers that the first E3 prediction has to do with Mass Effect 2. I would be very surprised if Microsoft passes on the opportunity to show off this highly anticipated game while on the biggest soapbox in the gaming world. They did it with the original ME so why not this one? My prediction is that Microsoft will dedicate a portion of their conference to firming up some details on Mass Effect 2 and showing some new worlds and maybe a little bit of gameplay footage. The trailer for ME2 came out over a month ago and got everyone salivating. Now it is time to show off this game and make everyone drool. Check it:



The teaser did exactly that and left many questions on my mind. Why is Shepard dead and how did it happen? Why is there a Geth in N7 armor? Where is the Normandy and the rest of the crew? Hopefully some light will get shed on these and other questions during the E3 show.

Here is what Mass Effect 2 needs to improve on the success of the original....Varrying terrain over the explorable planets. Too many times in the first iteration I was wondering if I had already been to a location. They all had the same shape mountains, flat areas, and even the bunkers were the same. Next up would be the ability to review your notes while viewing the star and planet chart. I had to check my notes, remember some obscure planet within an obscure planet cluster only to forget it, log out of the navigation, back into notes, check the name again, load times, load times, load times. Next, add a prompt asking to intall to your hard drive. Installing the original to your hard drive drastically reduced the load times and occasional freeze up making the gameplay a lot smoother. Since most don't load their games to their hard drive, maybe a promt would alert people to this feature and benefit. Next, how about some more weapons and more intense biotics! Finally, please upgrade that POS car thing that drives like a blownout shortbus. Getting in it was basically a death sentance. That's all, I'm not picky although I'll probably think of something else later.

As the magic 8-ball would say, "All signs point to Yes!" It makes sense for there to be a major ME2 announcement during E3 since the game is slated to release in early 2010. With the trailer released over a month ago, this would be the perfect oppurtunity to keep the hype machine going at full speed. Oh, and one other thing, Bioware says to keep your game saves from ME and hints at some sort of data carryover. Hopefully this all will be explained the first week in June.

E3 is coming soon!

In a little over a month gamers will have their destinies charted out for them as E3 is set to open the doors of the Los Angeles Convention Center during the first week of June. If you have followed any of the past events you know that this is a time for companies to pull out all the stops and bring their heavy hitters. Sometimes the announcement of new games, peripherals, systems, and partnerships can feel overwhelming. This is an event that has so much going on that if you miss a day you will pretty much miss a year in gaming.

We here at Warp9 are going to have our eyes glued to the newswire and try to bring you the latest and greatest during the event; but during the time leading up to the expo we also wanted to make a few predictions. We will be posting short predictions and would like our followers to offer their input, ideas, and general comments on even our most outlandish prospects.

-GAME HARD-

The Scoop on "Championship Mode"

As you all know by now, Street Fighter IV is no joke. One of the best (if not thee best) fighting games ever created. We at Warp 9 play it a lot and that's why we have the "Weekly Street Fighter IV Updates." With that said, this weeks update comes to us early with the thought in mind of teaching/informing of what the newest patch (Patch 1.02) has to offer. It's called Championship Mode and it's one hell of free download!
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Originally, patch 1.02 (or Championship Mode) was suppose to release on April 24th. However, it was pushed back two days in order for all the kinks to be worked out properly. With the new mode players have the chance to compete in a total of five different grades of tournaments. Each type of tournament is broken down into skill level; so people of all different types of skill-level can compete. Grade Points are awarded as you progress through each tournament (i.e. winning nets your points). As GP increases for each player they will be entered into more "exclusive" tourney's. This leads into Championship Points. Winning tournaments rewards players with CP which is basically a form of prize money. Broken down, it goes like this: The higher the GP skill of each player in a tournament, the bigger the CP Prize.

Another feature implemented into the patch is replay mode. This nice little feature allows players to record specified Championship Mode Matches and review them. Want to know why your getting whooped up on every time you compete? Record, watch, correct and progress! This little feature may not look like much, but it sure as hell comes in handy when you want to "upgrade" your skills.

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Championship Mode is a welcome addition to an already blockbuster game and with the newly added functions such as replay recording, things only look bright for the future of Street Fighter IV. I'll see you in the brackets!

Editors Note: No news on new downloadable characters yet. We will keep you posted!

--GAME HARD--

Weekly Street Fighter IV Update

Short. Sweet. To the Point. Here's the lead article/news on patch 1.02

"Playstation Network and Xbox Live are demanding players to update their Street Fighter IV to the 1.02 patch. The patch implemented Championship Mode and Replay Voting, more information can be viewed in "Update Info" in the "Options Menu. It appears Championship mode is similiar to a ladder type mode, where players have to climb to the time by accumulating Grade Points."

Do it...Like Now!

-GAME HARD-

Red Faction: Guerilla Delayed...Again.

Red Faction: Guerrilla has once again had its release date changed...and in this case, pushed back. Originally set to release in May, RF has now been slated to release in "early June." here's the upsetting news first hand as provided by BlendGames.

"THQ and Volition announced today that the single-player demo of Red Faction: Guerrilla is now available for download on PSN and Xbox Live. In the same announcement, they provide a release date that's different than what was previously revealed. According to the press release, the game will now be released worldwide on June 2nd. A few weeks back, a THQ rep had confirmed the game would be released on June 9th. Considering the press release is the more recent source, we're more likely to believe it but we'll try to sort this out for you. THQ is a West Coast outfit so unfortunately we may have to wait a few hours. Anyway, yeah, the demo. It's been available for pre-order customers since April 3rd and offers a taste of the single-player campaign. Alec Mason and other freedom fighters are battling the Earth Defense Force (boo Earth) to liberate Mars. "

I hate bad news. I hate it more when it comes to us this close to the weekend. Lets hope all these delays are for good and not because of some minute money dispute. Here's to hoping!

-GAME HARD-

What You Need To Know About Broken Steel

If your a Fallout 3 fan then you probably already know about Broken Steel; the new DLC straight from Bethesda. Thus far, Fallout 3's DLC has been pretty good. Anchorage was descent and The Pitt was excellent. So all in all Bethesda's track record of pretty good downloadable content speaks for itself. So, when news hit that not only was Bethesda releasing yet another DLC titled Broken Steel roughly a half year ago but also raising the level cap to 30 we all pretty much jumped around like little kids at Christmas. Thanks to Kotaku for this awesome nugget of information in regards to "everything you need to know about Broken Steel!"

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Broken Steel, the third downloadable episode for the PC and Xbox 360 version of Fallout 3, will raise the game's level cap to 30 and remove the games ending on May 5, Bethesda announced this week.

Broken Steel will sell for 800 points and will include an entire new area outside of Fallout 3's wasteland based on Andrews Air Force Base. The new DLC will also include more weapons, enemies and perks, including one that can bring back your dog when he's killed.

Broken Steel is the third of the three downloadable episodes Bethesda has been talking about for Fallout 3. The new content kicks off at the end of the game, changing away the original title ends and extending it perpetually. Once Broken Steel is downloaded Fallout 3 has no ending, Hines said.

"Broken steel doesn't have an ending," he said. "There are no more endings, we got the message."

The game also slightly tweaks the moments leading up to the ending, adding the ability to send one of several of your companions to complete the final task of the game, instead of doing it yourself.

The new content starts about two weeks after the events of Fallout 3's main quest, opening up in the Capital Wasteland by Project Purity, which is now up and running.

"Broken Steel takes into account what you did in Fallout 3 and what the world is like now," Hines said. In Broken Steel the battle between the Brotherhood of Steel and the Enclave still rages and you are tasked with discovering and helping to build a Tesla Canon, a new, more powerful weapon for the Brotherhood.

As with the original Fallout 3 storyline, there are also a number of side quests in Broken Steel, most of which have to do with escorting freshly processed clean water across the wasteland and protecting it from raiders.

"You can get a number of different quests from a scribe, which has nothing to do with the main story," Hines said. "It adds some free-form miscellaneous quests you can do in the game."
The main quest sends you to an old power plat to find the parts for the Tesla Canon.

The new area is packed with new enemies, including a super mutant overlord, a feral ghoul reaver and an Enclave hellfire trooper; new weapons, like the Tesla Canon and a projectile flame thrower; new achievements and even new perks. Hines only detailed one of the perks though, called Puppies! If you pick the Puppies! Perk when Dogmeat dies he gets reincarnated automatically as a puppy, which you can go to certain areas to add back to your group.

The new pack also raises the level cap from 20 to 30 and greatly increases the enemy difficulty level.

"Enemies are a lot tougher," Hines said. "You start seeing new enemies at level 18.
"Advancement from 20 to 30 takes a ton of experience points."

Completing the main quest in Broken Steel will also require a bit of puzzle solving, Hines said. After you've get all of the parts for the new weapon, you take it trough the Presidential Metro Line to pull off an attack on the Enclave base.

One you clear out the Presidential Metro Line you get to make your way to Adams Airforce Base where you will be given new orders, Hines said.

"Adams Air Force Base is a new world space," he said. "You sort of leave the Wastelands and go to Adams Air Force Base, it's a pretty big space."

Hines says that the main quest for Broken Steel is a bit longer than The Pitt downloadable content, coming in at about four to five hours of gameplay, and that it also adds a bunch of sidequests which each take 30 minutes to an hour to complete.

The side quests, he said, have you going all over the world and give you a chance to see how it's changed since the end of the original Fallout 3. The one thing that Broken Steel won't beef up are the collectibles, Hines said.

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So, there you have it. A pretty thorough synopsis of what to expect from the new DLC for Fallout 3's Broken Steel. Dropping in May, we here at Warp 9 will be sure to keep you updated on all things FO! Until then...........

-GAME HARD-

Brand New Sacred II Images!

The venerable Sacred series has been around for some time now. The game has been compared to Diablo in many cases, however, this should be used as a compliment and not a negative. Why? Because developer Ascaron is the only Diablo clone to do it right! Critically acclaimed for the first installment, Sacred yet again has entered into the spotlight to showcase just why the sequel (Sacred 2) will once again wow gamers alike. With the official release happening on May 2nd, we've been officially hit with a shellacking of new images (primarily dungeons) straight from the advertising department. Enjoy!

Credit DefaultPrime for the quick rundown and new images.

"To give you a little background on the game, it’s an action-RPG with a completely hand-designed world, hundreds of monsters, two distinct campaigns and six unique character classes. You will get the best elements of all of your favorite games. Hack n’ slash gameplay for the wild side, roleplaying and an engrossing story about a magical world on next-generation consoles (Xbox 360/PlayStation 3/PC)."

"You can also have your friends drop in through seamless drop in cooperative and competitive play on the same console or online for up to four players. Also, the game comes packed with stunning, HD graphics with with amazing qulity, as well as an amazing and engrossing soundtrack from renowned Heavy Metal act- Blind Guardian."

-GAME HARD-

Ninja Blade Reviewed!

Throughout the evolution of video games the proverbial "ninja" game has most definitely stood the test of time. You have your Ninja Gaiden's, your Shanobi's, Onimusha's, Dragon Ball's, Naruto's...hell, you could even say TMNT. All these titles have one thing in common: They all have about twenty sequels. Guess you could say they definitely have weathered the decades since their inceptions. How about we chalk yet another "ninja" game on that list with Ninja Blade; a bloody, gritty, frantically fast paced action game developed by From Software.

In order to get to the real nuts and bolts of Ninja Blade we have to get the formalities such as story line and premise out of the way. So, in order to do it fast YET thorough, I have taken the liberty to utilize my good old friend Mr. Wikipedia...

In the year 2010, a small village was attacked by unknown creatures. The survivors were moved to a research facility where they underwent examination. The village was designated as “Alpha-Site” from then on. While at the research facility, the survivors started to show symptoms of a flesh-eating disease. When further examined the researchers found an unknown type of hook worm. It was classified as "Alpha-worm". Conventional medicine had no effects on the patients, as the Alpha-worms continued to spread into their blood stream causing genetic failures. They deformed the victims, but the infection continued to increase the strength and resilience of the people infected. While it made their bodies more resilient then that of a normal person, the infected lost any signs of sanity and developed violent tendencies.

Before long, the infected broke free and attacked the researchers. A few researchers survive, only to find that they themselves had been infected. Fearing the situation would become worse and result in an outbreak, the military was forced to sterilize the site. They assaulted the facility and destroyed all traces of the infected and the Alpha-worms. To prevent panic, governments of the world kept the Alpha-worms secret. There have been contained outbreaks of infection over the years but have all been stopped by the G.U.I.D.E. squad. The government was confident that they could control the spread of Alpha-worms until now.

Hi again, were back to normality. Crazy story aside, Ninja Blade actually turns out to be a pretty good game. Mechanically speaking the game flows pretty well and the frame rate rarely dips (despite all the other sites contradicting me). The flow of battles is where Ninja Blade shines...and sometimes, doesn't shine. In fact, I'm going to rework the title of this game a little bit. Instead of Ninja Blade it should be called Ninja Quick Time Events Extravaganza Blade. The game is almost entirely made up of quick time events. In fact, I would go as far as saying it's about 80% quick time events and 10% story and another 10% dedicated to hack and slash tactics. So, suffice to say: if you hate QTE's (quick time events) steer clear of this title. For everyone else it's imperative you read on.

Ninja Blade is really fun. It walks an extremely thin line between over the top and downright unfathomable. There are times you'll be fighting monsters on top of motorcycles (this is the least over the top example) and other times you could be falling from the top of a sky-scraper fighting flying dragons with machine guns attached to their heads all while plummeting to the ground. That's still not doing the "over-the-topness" any justice. Here, I'll set the forums afire and make some fan boys weep by saying this: Ken (Ninja Blade himself) puts Dante (Devil May Cry) to shame. Yup, I said it.

Throughout the game you will be wielding three swords: a big heavy one, a medium size one and dual swords that also act as grappling hooks. In addition to those weapons you also have your Ninjitsu Blades. Think Chinese Star meets an over sized Frisbee. Each Ninjitsu has a special power as well; one is fire based, one is the wind based and the other is electricity. Progressing though the game allots you the ability to upgrade each of your weapons; including the Ninjitsu which entails unlocking new moves and attacks. There are plenty of moves to choose from seeing as though you have (basically) six weapons at your side all sporting at least a dozen different moves. In a nut-shell, the moves never get repetitive.

Graphically, Ninja Blade isn't going to knock your socks off. In fact, there are many parts of the landscapes that feel bland and outdated. Some structural discrepancies need to be spoken of as well. Buildings tend to look 'blockey' and character models seem dull. This isn't to say Ninja Blade looks bad at all. It's just a few things that stick out that should have been polished up before the final release.

Ninja Blade offers up an extremely satisfying experience. If you take away anything from this review, let it be the fact that your going to have a blast playing through the eight chapters (roughly 8-10 hours of game play). Gigantic bug bosses, excellent battle mechanics, tons of over the top action, blood, some guts and a heaping pile of quick time events that escalate into some of the most eye popping ninja bravado you will ever see. All in all, Ninja Blade makes for a good rent!

Ninja Blade Gets A 7.0 out of 10

-GAME HARD-

uploaDING!

Uploading for 4.17.08

• FULL REVIEW OF NINJA BLADE
• IS THE Wii FAZING OUT IN JAPAN?
• HANDS ON WITH PUZZLE QUEST: GALATRIX

-GAME HARD-

Halo 3 Does It Again

Remember Halo 3? Remember how popular its' multiplayer was...er, still is? Well, it seems as though our good friends over at Bungie have yet another triumph in gaming credentials to celebrate: Top Spot on the "Live Activity" listings once again. Confused with the terminology? Here's it in layman's terms: Halo 3 once again has claimed the top spot on the most played multiplayer game beating out Call of Duty - World at War. It seems as though every once in a blue moon old Mr. Fancy Pants Halo comes around to remind everyone just how cool he is. Then he proceeds to dominate the online charts again...and again...and again. Here's this weeks Live Activity Chart (week of April 16th).

XBOX 360 Top Live Titles based on UU's

1. Halo 3
2. Call of Duty: World At War
3. Call of Duty 4
4. Gears of War 2
5. Resident Evil 5 (really people?)
6. GTA IV
7. Fifa 2009
8. Left 4 Dead
9. Halo Wars
10. Guitar Hero World Tour

Top Arcade Titles

1. The Dishwasher
2. Hasbro Family Game Night
3. castle Crashers
4. Penny Arcade Episode 1
5. Puzzle Quest: Galatrix
6. Peggle
7. Worms
8. Uno
9. 3 on 3 NHL Arcade
10. TMNT

There you have it. Yet again, Halo 3 tops the charts sporting its fast and frantic game play with a side dish of 10 year old bigots who like to tell you how bad you are at the game. Yee haw!

-GAME HARD-

Prototype Demo Coming Soon!

So more information on the release of Prototype's demo has been leaked.
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Playstation-Live:
"PlayStationLive writes "We now know that Prototype will be released early June, but we now have reports coming in that the demo will be available on the PlayStation Network, 360 as well as PC in the first couple of weeks next month."
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Having been able to actually get some "hands on" time with this game at this past years NY Comic-Con, I can honestly say this may just be the game to look out for in 2009. Graphically speaking alone, Prototype looks to "up the anti" on just how good games should look, feel and play. If I could recomend just one demo to download and give a shot it would have to be Prototype. So, when it hits....Download it, you wont be let down.

-GAME HARD-

Breaking: Bioshock 2 Gameplay Footage

Remember the post I did at the beginning of the week in regards to Gametrailer's TV airing the worlds first gameplay footage of Bioshock 2? Well, I wasn't lying. This game, in my own humble opinion, is going to set the gaming industry on fire. Hell, it's not on SS Soulstealer's as well as my own "most anticipated games of 2009" list for nothing!

[video here]

It's an Amazon Jungle Down There

Sure, it is kind of like that picture. Amazon.com (whether you love or hate their master plan of taking over the world) jumped in the the XBLA marketplace arena recently. This is actually really really good news. Sure there are some downfalls but lets weigh the pros and cons.

Pros: You can actually buy a game for $10 dollars and no longer have to talk in MS points. No more buying a 1200 point card to buy a game and not have enough left over for anything worthwhile. Perhaps the best part is you can now purchase a game for a friend...buy it with your CC card and send them the redemption code and now it's button mashing co-op time.

Cons: Amazon does not have the full catalog of games and lacks some new releases. Also I believe the XBLA summer of gaming sales will remain XBLM exclusives.

Sure it is not flawless, but at least it gives people another option or a way to surprise a friend with a night of co-op gaming.

If you trade your games at Gamestop and want to check out another outlet, Amazon has another solution. Get a quote, send them in, and if they pass quality control, you will get a amazon gift card deposited into your account. The one good thing going with Amazon over Gamestop is that you can use your credit for what ever it is you want...even that super sweet Martha Stewart cookware set you have always wanted. Admittedly, I haven't tried either of these programs, but it seems like a good idea albeit with a little more effort.

-GAME HARD-

Diablo 3 Update: A New Hope

Finally, I have some encouraging news for our Diablo fans. Let me explain some new facts I have researched about Diablo 3 that might get you in the mood for a hardcore dungeon smashing...

The multi player story mode will function very similar to Diablo 2. Users can log in and out of cooperative play whenever, but with a new twist. The storyline will have random script occurrences during your journey, so it will be very likely to play the game multiple times with different challenges to conquer. Loot will also be dropped per player, and not into the world, which means no more fighting for gear. They have also eliminated item duplication, which was a heavily used cheat in Diablo 2.

The health and mana orbs picked up by players will automatically be shared to benefit the team. It is very evident that Blizzard is making a deliberate effort to make this game group oriented, which is awesome. I have no doubts the game will be enjoyable to solo, but the fact that this Diablo will be created with the intention of cooperative gaming is extremely encouraging.

There have also been reports that the base difficulty has been greatly increased. There have been no reports of a hardcore mode being installed as of yet, but I'm not gonna be greedy. I want a challenge, bottom line. But even if the game is sorta cake mode, the fact that each time through will be different dungeons, enemies, quests, etc. leaves room for no error. Every gamer, from noob to pro, should find a way to enjoy this game. Hardcore mode just might make Diablo 3 beyond great, so lets hope someone on the development team is reading this.

A maximum number of players allowed in a multi player game has not been set, but for now they can hold eight. The suggested number for team play is five. I have played WoW for years and I never really enjoyed anything above a ten man instance. Since that included healers and tanks, I think five is the perfect match for Diablo. I'm guessing that the number of enemies will somewhat increase by the number of players teaming together, and any PC gamer knows that too much on the screen at one time just gets sloppy. I am hoping that Diablo does not allow more than five at one time, keep it simple, that's my advice.

I have only two big problems with Diablo 3 so far. One, they are probably only going to have five character classes. They have revealed three so far: Barbarian, Witch Doctor, and Wizard. Since the game is around 65% complete, the hopes for more classes is dying fast. I feel that they should have at least ten, but that's just me. I am anticipating major fan disappointment with the limited character selection. WoW just recently introduced a tenth class, and fans are only slowing the hatred, not stopping.

The second problem may just be a misunderstanding. I read that there will only be one realm for all of North America. If I am reading that statement correctly, it is not enough. Someone clear this up so I can sleep at night, because if Blizzard messes this game up, I will disown them.

More info on the way soon, hoping next post will have a release date...

GameTrailers TV Episode 208 Set To Make Big Boom!

CREDIT N4G FOR THE UPDATE

You can also check out the show through the GameTrailers web site.

"The next episode of GameTrailers TV, airing this Thursday night at 12:30 PM, will be epic featuring the premier gameplay of BioShock 2 featuring none other than the Big Sisters, a "major announcement" and look at what's next to come for Killzone 2, an announcement for PunchOut on the Wii by Reggie Fils-Aime, and Peter Molyneux on the upcoming Fable II downloadable content."

-GAME HARD-

Preview: Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood

There's nothing like a good shooter. In fact, there's nothing like a good old fashioned over the top, bloody romp that takes the bull by the horns and rides it 'till its raw. Though the very first Call of Juarez came out nearly two years ago, I can honestly say it still holds place in my heart as one hell of a good time. On January 13 of this year, Techland announced a prequel to Call of Juarez, Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood. Its story will focus on the exploits of Thomas and Ray McCall (Billy's stepfather and step-uncle) in their youth. The first COJ was an action FPS game set during the "old West" days; the prequil keeps the same format. The story (set up by the first game) wasn't going to win any awards but the gameplay is where COJ shined most. It was smooth, graphically pleasing and hellishly violent. Now, with the immanent sequel (Bound in Blood) set for release in June of this year, we can all head back to the Wild Wild West, shoot us some bandits, drink us some whiskey and ride us some horses...wait, that sounded bad.

At this years GDC Expo, Techland showed up in "wild" fashion and showed off a couple tech-demo's showcasing all the same mechanics you came to know and love from the first COJ game. The ability to slow down time is still a prevalent feature in campaign mode, so don't worry! I cant tell you how vividly (and morbidly) amusing it is to slow down time, un-holster you side arm and take down six 'dudes' in less than a few ticks. The videos also cover some story-line info in order to expel misconstrued Internet rumors that the first games cast was making a return. Well, guess what? One of them does return: Reverend Ray! Widely considered the best character in the first installment, Ray graces the screen once again to rain terror and destruction onto the likes of sinners and self proclaimed saints.

[GS] "In Bound in Blood, you'll have two characters at your disposal. Ray makes a return from the original game (as stated above), while Thomas takes the place of Billy as the second playable character. Each brother has his own skills and abilities, so choosing carefully before each mission may save you some heartache along the way. Ray is the more powerful of the two: older, battle-hardened, and stronger. He's also better suited to duelling at close range and wears a chest plate for added protection. Thomas is more agile, and is therefore better suited to rooftop sniping and using long-distance rifles. He also carries a handy lasso that can be used to climb buildings and other objects. You won't be able to choose your character in every mission, but we're told that you'll sometimes split up and go separate ways, reuniting later on. It was also stated that at some point in the roughly 15-mission game you will actually turn against your brother, and fans of the first game can also discover why Ray becomes a man of the cloth in later events."

Check out some of the GDC footage shown:





-GAME HARD-

Preview: Bionic Commando

Have you ever looked back at all the past games you have ever played and thought to yourself, "Man, A revamp of this game could be incredible"? In all honesty I could name five right off the bat without blinking. However, there's always been a special place in my gaming heart for one in particular game I would love to see revamped, juiced up and released to the public: Bionic Commando. Well, the dream was filled in 2007 when gamespot.com leaked the news of an immanent, brand new Bionic Commando game set for release in May of 2009. Since the leaked announcement just about every gaming website and magazine has gone bananas trying to cover the game. Guess what? It releases in a month!

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Lets Review Wiki Style!

Quick Background Overview:

• The game is being developed and published by Capcom in collaboration with Swedish developer GRIN (best known for Ballistics and the Microsoft Windows version of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter series) and being Produced by Ben Judd. The game is a direct sequel to the second game and its remake Bionic Commando Rearmed, released in 1988 for the NES and in 2008 as a download for current gen systems. The development team has gone on record saying they have looked through all the old games including Mercs for connections
• Initial speculation pegged the game as a sandbox third person action game, similar to games such as Spider-Man 2 or The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction.[8] However, more recent information suggests it will be more linear.

Gameplay Overview:

• The player will be able to swing around Ascension City and other environments such as canyons, which will feature multiple routes that will require players to use various swinging techniques. Spencer (the protagonist of this game) is also able to target enemies while hanging upside down, climbing a building or even in mid-swing, while using an implement called the Bionic Arm which can be used to attack enemies at close range.


• Spencer can also use the claw to grab and launch objects such as boulders and cars at enemies. In addition, he is equipped with boots that enable him to kick said objects at enemies, as well as throw them.


• The game will feature a full multiplayer mode unique to the surroundings and grapple technologies.

Plot Overview:

• The events of the game take place ten years after the NES installment.[10] According to Capcom's press release, this iteration follows Nathan "RAD" Spencer (voiced by Mike Patton, Faith No More lead singer), and a government operative working in the fictional Ascension City and an Operative for the Tactical Arms and Security Committee or T.A.S.C which specializes in training bionic commandos like Spencer. After he is betrayed by his own government and falsely imprisoned, the Great Bionic Purge begins. Before his execution, an experimental weapon detonates in Ascension City, unleashing an earthquake along with a radioactive shockwave that leaves the city destroyed and wiping out its populace, with the threat of an invasion from a terrorist force known as the "BioReign".[9] Spencer is now freed to redeem his name along with the T.A.S.C's and is reunited with his bionic arm which he was stripped of.

The game looks to take bold leaps with not only processing power/level design but game play mechanics as well. If the screen shots, videos and game developer diaries are any indication of how good this game is going to be, than I have no qualm in keeping Bionic Commando on my "Most Anticipated Games of 2009" List! Just look at those screen shots; beautiful! I have a feeling we are all going to be in for a nice little treat. Until May.................

-GAME HARD-

A Slew of April Fools Happenings

April Fools Day for the gaming community is like Christmas to an eight year old. Every year since the infamous EGM "Gouken" as a playable character in Street Fighter 2 debacle, it seems as though every aggregated gaming web site, developer and even big conglomerate publishers have all gotten in on the game. So, its without further adue that I run down:

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"This Year's April Fools ZaaBiff"

ZaaBiff = B*tch Slap

This Rundown was conjured up by GS.Com

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If you've spent any time online at all today, you've no doubt realized that it's April Fool's Day. This morning, GameSpot posted its own series of satirical stories for April Fool's Day. On the video side, the site previewed Fable II: My Pocket Pets, debuted some new Dragon Age footage from BioWare, and revealed the latest playable character in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2.

News editors pondered what would happen if Animal Crossing's Tom Nook was a Deadwood-like murderous criminal, Resident Evil's Umbrella Corporation needed a bailout, and how Colonial Marines would react to the implosion of the Aliens games--if Colonial Marines actually existed. The prospect of 2K combining its critically lauded, ultra-violent BioShock series with its poorly reviewed, family-friendly Carnival Games also raised its head.

There was also plenty of tomfoolery by publishers and developers this April Fool's Day, which has become a cultural touchstone for gamers. Here are some of the more prominent ones:

Blizzard's Blowout: New Diablo III class, the Archivist: A doddering, semi-senile old man whose dialogue tree includes the opinions "Have you seen my pants?" "Look at this mole on my neck," and "I smell like bacon and summertime."

--New Starcraft II Unit, the Terratron: Nothing at all like a Transformer. Really. Its role? "Omega Supreme Defense," which sounds like an acne-control medication…from the future!
--Pimp My Mount: Service that lets players trick out their World of Warcraft steeds with "armor plating, a few spikes or chains, or maybe even some flaming decals."
--World debut of WOW's new player-versus-player Dance Battle System, which has the Horde and the Alliance groups facing off in Dance Dance Revolution-style showdowns. (Cue Blood Elf jazz hands.)
--Microsoft touted the latest Guitar Hero parody, the Xbox 360 "exclusive" Alpine Legend, complete with Alpine Horn peripheral and yodel karaoke track.
--THQ debuted a new Office-like featurette about the development of a new Red Faction: Guerilla weapon, the Ostrich Hammer.

--Konami issued a ludicrously fake trailer for the next Metal Gear Solid game, which will feature an unexpected protagonist. (Hint: "Ancient Snake" isn't too far off the mark.)
--Bethesda Softworks poked fun at itself by doubling the price of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion's much-maligned horse armor DLC to MSP400 ($5) on Xbox Live. All other Oblivion XBLM content is now half-off for the next week.
--id Software playfully teased its new browser-based massively multiplayer online first-person shooter, World of Quake Live.
--In a YouTube video and half-convincing press release, Polish develop CD Projekt Red announced the new, completely non-existent The Witcher: Mysterious Secrets for "all current-gen, next-gen and gen-after-next-gen handheld systems and is scheduled for release between Tuesday and Friday 2010."
--When performing body tests today, Wii Fit pretends to not function for a brief few seconds. Then, in a chirpy and cheery voice, then tells you "you're overweight" with complete earnestness.
--Nerd merchandise emporium ThinkGeek posted its latest high-tech wearable, the $99.99 blue and orange Portal shirts. (Must be bought in pairs to function.)
--Capcom joked their graphically intense forthcoming shooter Dark Void has gone in a new direction--it's "going totally 8-bit!" The game's new cover art also goes for a retro feel, including being pre-worn around the edges.
--GameStop touted the ventriloquist title called My Wii Buddy with bonus tuxedo T-shirts.
--Developer Ready at Dawn used another YouTube video to unveil a new mode in God of War: Chains of Olympus. Called "Cube of War," it lets gamers can play as the companion cube from the game Portal.
--Halo 3 developer Bungie Studios announced the fictional Bungie Ultimate Ninja Gaming League Extreme, which is "is poised to become the first and only professional gaming league that forces players to wield the true skill-based weapon." That weapon? The Spiker--the only weapon that players can use, period. A multimillion-dollar championship is to be held in Dubai later this year.

-GAME HARD-