I just about lost hope for a multi-platform GoldenEye revival when the Wii version was released last year without any mention of its other console rivals. Luckily, Activision today announced that GoldenEye 007: Reloaded will be coming to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game will feature a completely new game engine, which according to Activision will be able to achieve 60 frames per second. In addition, developer Eurocom will also be adding in PlayStation Move Sharpshooter support and a new mode called “MI6 Ops Missions,” which will take campaign levels and use them for objective based missions unrelated to the direct story.
Of course, GoldenEye 007: Reloaded will come with the now obligatory 16 player online multiplayer. Interestingly, GoldenEye 007: Reloaded will also keep the split-screen four player multiplayer that the original N64 iteration made famous and that recent games seem to have forgotten. There’s nothing like being able to reach out and unplug someone’s controller mid-firefight.
At this point it is unclear how much will be derived from the Wii game (if anything) or what it will share in common with the N64 original. GoldenEye 007: Reloaded will be released this fall for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. To visit the official site click here and make sure to check back for new information as it becomes available!
Source – Activision
Batman: Arkham Asylum was a blockbuster hit when it released on consoles in 2009. Rocksteady Studios nailed the perfect balance of combat and detective work to create a game that finally did justice to the Batman license. While first game was filled to the brim with a number of Batman’s most memorable villains, there were many left out of Arkham Asylum that would fit perfectly in a sequel. As fall 2011 draws near, the Dark Knight will have his hands full in the wild prison known as Arkham City.
Batman: Arkham City is set five years after the events of Arkham Asylum. Two Face, Joker, Catwoman, and hordes of other villains are at war within the walls of Arkham City. The new prison is five times the size of Arkham Asylum and the entire city is available to the player from the start. My hands on demo began with Batman prowling the rooftops searching for Catwoman. Using a long-range listening device, I was able to lock on to a radio signal a few blocks away. Catwoman had been captured by Two Face while trying to break into his private vault. Now dangling headfirst over a vat of acid, Catwoman needed my help.
Movement abilities can now be combined dynamically, so alternating use of Batman’s cape to glide and his grappling hook to gain altitude brought me to the doorstep of Two Face’s cathedral hideout very quickly. Opting for a stealthy approach, I entered the hideout through an upstairs window and watched as Two Face rallied his goons around the captured Catwoman. I used a few remote-controlled batarangs take care of the heavily armed thugs near the back of the group and leapt into the crowd to neutralize the rest of the group.
The free flow combat of the first game has returned for the sequel and gadgets can now be used in combat. I used batarangs to stun enemies and my grappling hook to wrap up enemies who were unwilling to get into the fray. I didn’t think it was possible, but the free flow combat is even more fluid than before. My well-timed dodges and counters were rewarded with brutal cinematic takedowns. After the melee finally ended, I was treated to a panoramic view of the dozen or so goons lying broken and battered on the floor of the cathedral. Two Face was not impressed with my combat prowess and pointed his handgun at Catwoman. My battle with Two Face’s goons was so drawn out, Catwoman had an opportunity to free her hands and subdue Two Face before I could play the hero. A short cutscene between Batman and Catwoman played before my demo came to a close.
Gamers can expect about a fifteen hour campaign and another 30 hours of exploration and Riddler side missions. Batman: Arkham City releases this October on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.
See our E3 2011 news here and follow GamingBits on Twitter for more.
Assassins Creed has become an important series for the current generation of gaming consoles. While many have assumed that annual releases would over saturate the exposure of the franchise, Ubisoft has shown that they can refine the gameplay of the series while weaving an intense and engaging story for fans to enjoy. The newest incarnation, Assassins Creed: Revelations, looks to be another huge hit for Ubisoft. At E3, I was lucky enough to receive an exclusive demo of Assassins Creed: Revelations.
Picking up right after the cliffhanger ending of Assassins Creed: Brotherhood, Desmond Miles is stuck in a coma from the effects of the Animus and must continue to relive the memories of his ancestor Ezio Auditore de Firenze in hopes of eventually awaking. Ezio himself is now a master assassin nearing the end of his lifelong battles with the Templars. His quest brings him to Constantinople about five years after the close of Brotherhood. My demo began with the a demonstration of Ezio’s new weapons. Smoke bombs are still in, but now Ezio can eventually upgrade his bombs to be much more deadly. After targeting a pair of guards, Ezio killed both with a single well placed explosive. As a group of guards ran through the town square to see what all the commotion was about, Ezio scaled the side of a building to escape. Using his new hook blade, Ezio was able to reach much higher ledges than when he just used the climbing glove in Assassins Creed: Brotherhood. Once he reached the roof the building, Ezio used the hook blade to zip-line down a rope to the other side of the town.
While Ezio had managed to escape the guards for the moment, the city security was now aware that an assassin was in their midst. By raising a massive chain across the port of entry, the city guards blockaded the waterways making Ezio’s escape nearly impossible. An explosive at the base of the chain took care of the blockade, but also reduced a portion of the city to rubble. Ezio scaled the rigging of a nearby ship and found a flamethrower mounted to the bow. After a minute or two of sustained flames, the docked enemy fleet was in ruin. A well placed cannonball destroyed the flamethrower and forced Ezio to desert the sinking ship. Dodging flying debris, Ezio jumped from ship to ship before finally reaching his own ship. As Ezio’s ship sailed out of the bay, I was treated to a panoramic view of the destruction Ezio left in his wake. Ezio may be old and nearing the end of his Assassins Creed story, but he is more deadly and effective than ever.
As Ezio’s portion of the demo came to a close, I was led into another area of the demo room which held a pair of Animus chairs. After sitting down, I was treated to a frustratingly short teaser of Desmond’s experience in Assassins Creed: Revelations. Since Desmond is now stuck in a sort of Animus limbo, the teaser showed large geometric buildings appearing in the empty spaces of the Animus loading area. As Desmond looked skyward, now sporting a black hoodie and white t-shirt, the teaser came to an end. Looks like we’ll have to wait until November 15, 2011 to see how it all ends.
For more details on Assassins Creed: Revelations and to see a developer commentary video of the demo, visit: www.assassinscreed.com and www.facebook.com/assassinscreed.
After my hands on demo at E3, Rocksmith has become a required purchase for me this holiday season. One bit of information that got lost in the craziness of E3 is Ubisoft’s newest partnership for Rocksmith. Gibson Guitars has joined with Ubisoft to bundle an Epiphone Les Paul Junior guitar and Rocksmith Real Tone Cable with Rocksmith when it releases this fall. Retailing for $199.99, the bundle will offer a great deal for beginning guitarists. Sporting a bolt-on neck, single humbucking pickup, and wraparound tailpiece, the Epiphone Les Paul Junior gives budding guitarists everything they need to start playing guitar.
Rocksmith will be available this Fall on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. For more information be sure to visit www.rocksmith.com.
Most fighting games available on the market today have fallen into primarily two distinct categories. There are sports simulations, which realistically capture every nuance of a particular sport and arcade style fighters in which characters perform superhuman feats not possible in the real world. Later this year 505 Games’ Supremacy MMA will offer its own impressive blend of arcade style brawling using real fighters.
Ditching the complexity of modern day sports simulations, Supremacy MMA allows players of all skill levels to compete without the need for spending hours in training mode. The face buttons activate punches, kicks, grapples and parries. The shoulder buttons initiate feints and activate Adrenaline mode. By landing attacks on an opponent, an Adrenaline meter under the health bar will fill up. Once filled, activating Adrenaline mode doubles your fighters power and allows for cinematic finishes when attacking weakened parts of an opponent’s body.
My hands-on began with the selection of my fighter. Licensed fighters like Jens Pulver and Shane Del Rosario appear in addition to eight other male fighters. Each fighter focuses on a single style of fighting, much like the early days of Mixed Martial Arts. Fighters who specialize in striking can defend submissions but will not be able to perform any while fighters who specialize in grappling will have a very difficult time trying to knock someone out. I chose a fighter who specialized in kickboxing and my opponent chose a wrestler. I was able to keep my opponent at a distance using well timed kicks and lightning fast punches. Landing strikes caused the other fighter to bruise and bleed in real time. After a couple of combinations, the other fighter was left with gruesome welts on the left side of his body and eyes that were nearly swollen shut. When my opponent initiated grapples on my character, blood from his wounds transferred to my body and clothing staying there for the duration of the match. To finish the fight I triggered my Adrenaline meter and landed a fierce right hook to my opponents head. The camera panned slowly around the broken fighter as his body fell limply to the mat. Winning is always fun, but completely destroying my opponent in this fashion was much more satisfying than having a referee stop the fight like in other MMA games.
The second part on my hands-on demo involved the exclusive Girl Fight mode featuring licensed fighters Michele Gutierrez and Felice Herrig. This is the first MMA game to ever include female fighters, and it was just as intense as expected. The women of the game moved a bit quicker than the men but their strikes felt just as powerful and devastating. My opponent got the better of me in this match and after trapping my leg in a submission, the other fighter proceeded to twist my ankle until it broke. As the winning fighter raised her hands in victory, my fighter was left rolling around on the floor clutching her dangling foot.
As my demo came to an end, the developer assured me that Supremacy MMA will receive new fighters in the form of DLC. Online multiplayer is available on all systems and each fighter has their own unique and engaging story. Get ready to have your own bloody good time on September 20 on the Xbox 360 and PS3.
