The Gotham City Impostors Beta has been going strong for the past week and I personally have had quite a bit of fun playing it. For those who were not lucky enough to get an access code for the Beta, the wait to play Gotham City Impostors will not last much longer. PSN users will be able to download the full game on February 7, 2012 and Xbox Live users will be able to download the game on February 8, 2012.
Details on Gotham City Impostors from the Official Press Release:
“Gotham City Impostors is an original first-person shooter where up to 12 players battle for control of an unhinged Gotham City overrun by impostors inspired by the DC Comics characters Batman and The Joker. Players can engage in deliriously fast paced, uniquely vertical, and completely unconventional urban warfare where progress supports leveling up and access to a mind-boggling array of customization options. Fans can unlock new Bats or Jokerz Impostor costumes and build their own specific load-out from a huge assortment of traditional and homebrew weaponry, equipment, and perks. Gadgets such as the Glider Rig, Grappling Hook, and Spring Boots give gamers unprecedented mobility options, while support items like the Bear Trap, Boomerang, and Body Armor open up new tactical options. The game will feature maps and modes inspired by DC Comics’ Batman license.”
While big budget AAA titles often get the most recognition in the gaming industry, games that offer classic gameplay with modern sensibilities have found a comfortable niche as downloadable titles. Choplifter HD, a spiritual sequel to the original 1981 Choplifter, is the most recent and one of the most satisfying downloads available today.
Choplifter HD is based on a simple premise. As a helicopter pilot you are tasked with flying into dangerous environments to rescue civilians and battle any enemies that cross your path. Controls are suitable for this style of gameplay offering a comfortable balance of responsive flight and the floaty feel of a helicopter. The right stick combined with the L2 and R2 buttons fire your weapons and the face buttons activate your boost. The real challenge from Choplifter HD comes from the proper use of the L1 and R1 buttons. The entire game takes place in a 2D environment, but enemies can appear in the foreground as well. The L1 and R1 buttons turn the chopper 90 degrees so a player can battle these foreground enemies and turn their chopper around after rescuing civilians. While early stages may seem relatively easy, battling groups of enemies firing RPG’s and homing rockets from the main stage and the foreground can get ruthlessly challenging. Fleeing is always an option in Choplifter HD, but earning 5 star rankings on each stage will only be achieved by players who can comfortably balance rescue and battle.
Rescuing civilians may sound like an easy task, but it is much more difficult than I ever expected. Most civilians are located in hot zones surrounded by dozens of enemies trying to destroy the players chopper. A few seconds of careful flying coupled with some well placed missiles are more than enough to clear out most hot zones, but one must be careful to not kill any civilians in the process. Once the battlefield is finally clear, a player has to carefully lad his chopper and wait for the civilians to board. Some civilians who require medical attention appear with a timer above them and must be brought back to base before the timer expires. Running into obstacles, getting hit with rockets, or even landing too hard will kill civilians who are seated in your chopper, so a bit of finesse is required to bring everyone home safely.
Some may be put off by the difficulty of balancing rescue and combat, but I felt the difficulty was fair. Most choppers can take a decent bit of damage but the fragility of the civilians I was trying to rescue always kept me on my toes. In combat I also had a bit of trouble aiming and firing my weapons while dodging missiles and bullets, but that was due to my rough flying skills as opposed to the difficulty of the game itself. One early level I kept coming back to had me battling hordes of zombies who thankfully had not learned to fire those pesky RPG’s. Let me say this again…..I was battling zombies from a helicopter. AWESOME!
For $15 there is plenty of fun to be had with Choplifter HD. Earning 5 stars on a level is challenging and satisfying. Choplifter HD will also support DLC with a pack of choppers being offered for free shortly after release. Choplifter HD is available for 1200 Microsoft points on Xbox Live or for $14.99 on PSN.
Still looking to fill your gamer’s holiday wish list or looking to gift some games to yourself? Check out these great online deals on video game systems, video games, and specially packaged collector’s edition games. Amazon.com is offering at least 50% off on select video games (see here). The list is pretty huge, but I’ve picked out a few recommended game deals below. Also, today’s featured Amazon video game deals include savings on games for kids (see here). See the deals below while they last (many deals only good on the day of this post). There is a nice selection of games in quality bundles at some of the lowest prices to date!
Battlefield 3 gamers, prepare to fire up more fun with the Back to Karkand expansion pack! Below is the launch trailer, featuring the classic Battlefield map Sharqi Peninsula, now powered-up by the Frostbite 2 engine. If you purchased the Battlefield 3: Limited Edition, you can download Back to Karkand at no extra charge. Back to Karkand is also available for $14.99 (PS3, PC) or 1200 Microsoft Points for the Xbox 360. For more details on Battlefield 3, visit the official website at www.battlefield.com.
Things just got a bit more electric for the next major installment of the Metal Gear series. Konami has announced Kojima Productions will be partnering with game developer Platinum Games for Metal Gear Solid: Revengeance. Platinum Games has delivered some of the most memorable and unique third-person action games over the last few years, including Mad World, Bayonetta and Vanquish. Playing through Vanquish, it’s easy to see some of the inspiration of Metal Gear and lead character Raiden in the game. Kojima Productions is choosing to go for a more action-oriented route for Metal Gear Solid: Revengeance, a big factor for bringing Platinum Games into its development. Konami explains how the partnership between the two powerhouse game developers will work out in Metal Gear Solid: Revengeance:
“Kojima Productions has created the story for the game, managed the cutscenes and voice-over sessions, and Metal Gear Solid artist Yoji Shinkawa has created the character designs. Platinum Games will focus on the game design and programming elements, under the supervision of Kojima Productions.
Hideo Kojima, Head of Kojima Productions and creator of the Metal Gear series, personally chose Platinum Games to create the new title, and Metal Gear Solid veteran Yuji Korekado has been appointed to oversee the project for Kojima productions and will work closely with Platinum’s Atsushi Inaba. Hideo Kojima will act as Executive Producer.”
Keep a lookout for a documentary to be shown on www.metalgearsolid.com at 5:00PM (PST) today, which will reveal more details on the collaboration of Kojima Productions and Platinum Games.
