I’m not a big shmup fan, but Final Form Games’ Jamestown: Legend of the Lost Colony broke down my barriers. With it’s unique setting (17th Century Mars?!) memorable sprite-based artwork, and killer gameplay it became my favorite shmup.

Well, now I have a reason to play it again. Final Form Games have released the Gunpowder, Treason, and Plot DLC today! Hit the jump for more details. Read more… »

Things are really looking up for THQ’s upcoming wacky-fest Saints Row: The Third - the game’s online character creator has just hit one million entries. Kevin Kraff of THQ states “One million is just the beginning.” Indeed!

Personally, I’ve had no interest in the Saint’s Row series before this iteration, but all of the insane assets that have come out since the game’s announcement have put me on board: Scooby Doo’s Velma riding dildo cat hovercars? I’m in! Read more… »

An army of penguins under the leadership of evil dictator Putzi is taking over Albatropolis and there’s only so much an underground resistance of Cardinals can do to stem the tide of Antarctic invaders. But from the sky soars a jetpack-wearing, shotgun-shooting, action-hero of a chicken, ready to rain death upon the ruthless aggressors invading his homeland.

Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken recently made its way to the PlayStation Network, but is this puzzle-platforming shooter worth your dollar in this crowded holiday season? Read on after the break to find out.

Read more… »

The world doesn’t end in 2012, at least that is not the check out date according to Fate of the World: Tipping Point. Also, there is no fugitive asteroid coming to claim us all. According to the game, the world will most likely suffer a slow, agonizing death full of drought, famine and civil unrest a century or two from now. This is good news for us, bad news for future generations and careless time travelers.

Despite the dark and sardonic outlook, this turn based card game manages to instill hope in an otherwise crumbling world. This is because in Fate of the World: Tipping Point, or FotW:TP for short, you’re placed in the mantle of power, with the chance to turn things around through real world solutions. This is no walk in the park, however, as with this power players must balance resources and public perception or they will wind up on the wrong end of a revolution. Are you up to the challenge?

Read more… »

Batman just can’t get a break. Between Nolan’s films, a recent anime series, and reboot afer reboot, the caped crusader sure is putting a lot of criminals behind bars – just to have them break out again of course!

But in this particular instance, he has a few tricks up his sleeve, and the outcomes of his encounters aren’t as predictable. In fact, whatever issues I had with Rocksteady’s first Batman outing have been solved — simply put, Arkham City presents an unprecedented interactive Dark Knight experience. Read more… »

The tower defense genre has always been one of my favorite ways to kill time when gaming. There’s something that is just so satisfying about building the perfect line of defense and watching your maze of death take care of everything. While this genre has previously been relegated to modifications and other derivative works (WarCraft III custom maps, etc.), now digital distribution services like Steam allow game developers to create fleshed out, full fledged titles. Orcs Must Die is one of these full fledged tower defense titles.

As the name implies, Orcs Must Die involves building a series of traps so that wave after wave of oncoming Orcs meet a grisly end. This sounds entertaining on paper but, as gamers know better than anyone, the proof is in the play. To see if Orcs Must Die is worth your money, hit the jump. Read more… »

Four years have past since the events of Resistance 2. Mankind has grown tired and weak as the Chimera continue to ravage Earth. An Earth that, as each day passes, looks and feels more like the frozen Chimera homeworld.

Between the change in climate and landscape and the worm-hole now forming above New York City, the future looks bleak. But between the mind of Dr. Malikov and the combat skills of Joseph Capelli, hope may not be lost after all. And so begins the journey of one man who wishes nothing more than to have his family live their lives without fear of what the next day might bring. Read more… »

This review of Dungeon Defenders must begin with a short study of M. Night Shyamalan’s film, Lady In The Water. It’s a worthy comparison in its own way. Both game and film feature casts of characters who must defend their precious jewels from evil (in the film it’s a lady and in the game it’s an actual jewel).

One character in Shyamalan’s film also serves as a metaphor for the game as a whole. It’s Reggie the Guardian, that guy with one super buff arm and one regular arm. Translate that into Dungeon Defenders; from one side it seems to have true strength as a co-op RPG. Take a look from another angle, and it’s a rather bland tower defense title.

Read more… »

If there were ever a game with massive shoes to fill, it’s Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Human Revolution is a prequel to the widely celebrated Deus Ex, released back in 2000, which popularized concepts such as genre-blending, multiple methods of completing objectives, and RPG elements and specializations.

Human Revolution has been a long time coming, and Deus Ex fans should be basking in the nostalgia as they go down a familiar road.  New series players will be just as engrossed; Human Revolution is a polished, deep experience in an immersive near-future world. Read more… »

San Francisco, Calif. is stirring this October with two great events. Both events are open to the public and focus on networking, sharing and learning new and innovative development technique. So, if you’re in the area and are trying to break into the industry, in the midst of your own project or just want to hang out with like minded individuals, clear some space on your calendar.

One event is free and one is not so free. So even though you’re a gamer on a budget, you will be able to get out there and mingle for at least one of these.

Read more… »

More than any other sports series available, FIFA has been the pinnacle of consistency. To not falter from this in an industry with yearly installments of sports games is almost unseen. FIFA, without question, has always pulled it off — somehow staying consistent in polish, realism, innovation, and delivery.

FIFA 12 is no different than its predecessors in this regard. However, many are skeptical of the latest gameplay changes and the impact they will have on the balance and realism of the game. Thankfully, there is nothing to be worried about. Read more… »

Double edge swords can be pretty cool. In experienced hands, they make short, bloody shrift of an enemy and, barring any phallus references, the sword can make the wielder look something of a badass. This ginormous blade with two sides is also a prime, well used metaphor of something which bears opposing qualities. Take, for instance, Siegfried/Nightmare from Soul Calibur.

Now, I’m going to be upfront with you — this article is a bit of a double edged sword itself. By that I mean it is a bit of news, and a bit of commentary, regarding the Entertainment Software Association’s (ESA) support of the U.S. Congress’s free trade agreements announced this Thursday.

Read more… »