Xbox Live and PlayStation Network are all about second chances, which is nothing if not what Beyond Good and Evil deserves.  The game, which was released in 2003, was critically acclaimed but a commercial failure and the trilogy envisioned by designer Michael Ancel (best known for the Rabbids series) seemed uncertain.  The series has emerged stronger than ever: Not only is Beyond Good and Evil 2 in the development pipeline but the first Beyond Good and Evil is up at bat again with a shiny new coat of HD graphics.

Does it withstand the test of time when so many games from generations past have aged badly?  Read on to find out.

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Chances are that you didn’t play the original Section 8, and even if you did, you might not have the best things to say about it. The campaign wasn’t impressive in the slightest, and multiplayer lobbies were noticeably devoid of players. It wasn’t awful, but at least there was plenty of room for improvement.

It’s been nearly two years and TimeGate Studios is back with Section 8 Prejudice. All in all ,the TimeGate development team is looking to raise the bar of what gamers can expect from downloadable shooters: and at just a $14.99 price point, it’s hard not to bite.

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Tim Schafer and Double Fine Productions really seem to live outside the box when it comes to creative processes. The series of indie games being developed by Double Fine is actually the result of a so-dubbed Amnesia Fortnight, where Double Fine was divided into four teams and each came up with a prototype of a game. Costume Quest was the first of the indie games, and now Double Fine has offered up Stacking to Xbox Live and PlayStation Network customers. I certainly hope this isn’t the last Amnesia Fortnight that Double Fine decides to have, because the thoughtfulness behind Stacking makes it short but sweet and extremely satisfying.

Stacking is a game that almost sounds like a parody if you read a summary or see a screenshot. The world of Stacking is an industrial age populated entirely by Russian matryoshka dolls that move, speak, and act just like humans. Bizarre Definitely, but it’s the special brand of quirkiness and eccentricity that Double Fine does so well. The doll character lack voices but the old fashioned screens that progress the story and the upbeat piano overtures are reminiscent of silent era films of the 1920s. Light, pleasant piano music provides a backdrop for a world in an industrial revolution built on the backs of hard labour by these intricately designed and detailed dolls.

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Today, Capcom has confirmed its latest Resident Evil title – Operation Raccoon City.  The publisher is partnering with SOCOM Confrontation developer Slant Six Games to develop the franchise’s first third-person team-based shooter.

The game will follow the Umbrella Security Service  through the events of Resident Evil 2 and 3. While not much is known about the title, Capcom has teased three-way competitive multiplayer  between US Spec Ops, Umbrella security forces, and the infected threat of zombies and Bio-Organic Weapons.

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City will be landing on the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC this winter.

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Back in September I was up in Seattle walking the PAX show floor. There were hundreds of games on display, just waiting to be played, ranging from high profile titles like Killzone 3 to smaller unknown indie games like The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile.

I walked up to the booth where I was met by Ska Studio’s marketing coordinator Dustin Burg. The monochromatic visual style and fun beat ‘em up combat struck a chord with me right away. I was really enjoying it when something absolutely terrible happened. Dustin told me that it’s exclusive to the Xbox 360, sorry fellow PlayStation fans.

Our loss is your gain though, The Dishwasher Vampile Smile is landing on XBLA April 6th for a cool $10 (800 MS Points). If you’re attending PAX East I would definitely recommend stopping by the Ska Studios booth to check it out.

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“Konami and Saber Interactive team up to create an immersive First Person Shooter experience based on the Columbia Pictures upcoming feature film Battle: Los Angeles.”

That’s exactly what we need right now! Another movie video game tie-in! Hit the jump for more details. Read more… »

Every so often a game comes along that is so unique and clever that I just need to tell people about it. This time the game that has piqued my interest is Bloody Good Time, the spiritual successor to The Ship, published by Ubisoft and developed by Outerlight.

What makes this game so unique? For starters, the premise is that the secretive horror movie producer Director X, known for the realistic violence in his films, is in town. Players take on the role of actors, competing for fame and a shot to star in Director X’s new movie. Of course this involves killing off the competition. To make matters more interesting, there are security guards and cameras limiting where and when you can remove your competition.   Read more… »

From Twitter “@TimOfLegend: I think in the last shot you can see a reflection of Greg naked.” Double Fine Productions founder Tim Schafer jokes after watching a video made by Greg Rice, also of Double Fine. The video in question is a stop motion animation promoting Double Fine’s latest title, Stacking, released Tuesday on Playstation Network, Wednesday on Xbox LIVE. Gamer Limit lets you know why this video does more than just add to the nifty nouveau nature of the puzzle adventure.

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Stick shooters are another one of those old genres that would seem to be a natural fit for Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, where MicroBot has been released for $10.  More importantly the better technology that comes with today’s consoles offers ample room for old genres to improve themselves and showcase potential that might have been hampered on primitive arcade machines.  MicroBot grasps some of this potential but get past the excellent presentation and it’s just a sparse shooter with occasional memorable moments buried in repetition.

MicroBot starts off on a high note when a syringe forcefully injects you into the environment, you being a nanite tasked with destroying infectious nanites inside a human body that have gone haywire.  The layered backgrounds of human tissue teem with life and the microscopic perspective of the human body is beautifully presented.  Fleshy walls and glands intermingle and feel corrupted by the mechanical scourge of the nanites that you are tasked with destroying.   Little touches like moving bits in the foreground and background really make this feel like a living organism. Read more… »

Depicted above is the splash page to the updated website promoting Hybrid, 5th Cell’s latest title. It gives you the choice between siding with the Paladin or the Variants. Depending on your choice, you will click through to either a depraved, boarded up room or a stylishly sleek, high tech chamber, both replete with several goodies. Among the goodies are journals revealing a bit of the story for either side, brand new screens and the trailer.

“God didn’t create hell, the Variants did,” says the voice somewhat gaudily in the trailer. Yes, the teaser may sample a bit of the melodramatic, and also those new journal entries, but the game itself is guaranteed to be bold for several reasons.

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The first ever DLC pack for the charming puzzle-race hit Raskulls is out today on the Xbox Live Arcade, for a measly 160 Microsoft Points. Don’t be fooled by the official XBLA description: the pack does come with a brand new cup in addition to the advertised four extra characters, which feature four new multiplayer levels.

I just tried them out a little while ago, and I’m excited to say they include some pretty neat mechanics from the Mega Quest, and are sure to please fans. This pack couldn’t have come sooner for some, as one of the chief complaints of Raskulls, from part of the community, was that it didn’t feature enough levels – well, here are four more for your perusal! Hopefully Halfbrick will have even more in store for us in the coming months, and everyone who has been holding out for more content can jump on board with this surprisingly fun game.

Today indie publisher Paradox announced that it’s new co-op Norse-based fantasy action game Magicka has sold over 30,000 copies in it’s first 24 hours of being released. Pretty impressive considering the developer, Arrowhead Studios, is just an eight person operation. What’s even more impressive is that because of those 24 hours, Magicka is now topping the charts on Valve’s Steam service. Read more… »