Mass Effect 2 Getting New Downloadable Content Via Cerberus Network

Bioware has announced that Mass Effect 2 will be receiving new DLC over the next few months with the first pack, Firewalker, hitting some time next month.

The content will feature five new missions, and the Hammerhead heavy assault vehicle, which “hovers over the battlefield at up to 120 kilometers per hour and features a guided missile system ensuring accuracy even during aggressive maneuvering.”

What’s interesting to note is that the DLC will be free for those gamers who have purchased a new copy of Mass Effect 2, and thus have the redeemable code that came packed into the game that allows them to connect to the Cerberus Network. For anyone who purchased the game used, it will run them $15, or 1200 MS Points.

Dragon Age: Return to Ostagar Hits Playstation 3 Next Month

Bioware has finally announced the launch date of the first expansion pack for their hit RPG Dragon Age: Origins for the Playstation 3 version of the game. The Xbox 360 and PC have already received the expansion.

The release date is March 11th, followed on March 16th by the release of additional content: Dragon Age: Awakening. Fans of the RPG that have the Playstation 3 version and can’t wait to get their hands on this content *cough*my mife*cough*, won’t have much longer to wait.

Beware of Heavy Rain Spoilers Across The Net

Just thought I’d give an FYI to anyone who happens to stop by here that there are certain individuals on the internet that are going around spoiling the ending to Quantic Dream’s PS3 exclusive murder mystery, Heavy Rain. The perpetrator is creating user names that reveal the name of the killer in Heavy Rain, ie, “XXX is the Killer.”

I’m sorry to say that I was one of the people who had the ending spoiled for them when visiting gaming site N4G.com.

I suggest skipping out on anything related to the game until after you’ve picked it up and completed it. Also beware, there’s a similar story on God of War 3 on N4G, where the same troll, despite having his original profile banned, did the same thing.

I’m thinking of dubbing the guy the “Origami Spoiler,” but I think I’ll go with the much more apt, “Douchebag Asshole.”

Darksiders Review

By Figboy

Genre: Action/Adventure
Platform: Playstation 3, Xbox 360
Developer: Vigil Games
Price: $59.99 (USD)

Darksiders was a game that snuck up on me. Being a big fan of comic artist Joe Maduerira, I was surprised that the title managed to go by me unnoticed. My initial impressions were that it just didn’t seem that interesting. I thought the concept was solid, but the very few game play snippets I saw of it didn’t sell me on it.

I have to say, I am very glad that I decided to throw caution to the wind and pick up the game. Darksiders is the definition of sleeper hit, and after my 24+ hour game play session with the title, I can’t help but recommend it to fans of polished games with creative game play, a fairly interesting story, and crisp, clean visuals.

White Knight Chronicles Review

By Figboy

Genre: RPG

Platform: Playstation 3

Developer: Level 5

Price: $59.99 (USD)

I’ve been a big fan of Level 5’s games since playing the original Dark Cloud on the Playstation 2 many moons ago. Their games are generally quirky, with solid stories and visuals, but highly enjoyable game play. After their last outting on the Playstation consoles, Rogue Galaxy, I was pumped to dive into their first Playstation 3 title, White Knight Chronicles. Does it continue the legacy of Level 5’s solid JRPG formula, or fall flat? Read on to find out.

The first thing that struck me about WKC is it’s robust character creation engine. You can easily spend a good hour or more tweaking the various features of your character’s face, from eye spacing, nose shape and size, chin, jaw, etc. This isn’t new to games with charater creation, but what is staggering is simply how much you can tweak those settings. There are slider bars that often go from 0 to 100, and the level of variety you can get is amazing, even with the highly stylized, anime graphics.

God of War Collection Now $30

God of War 3 will be hitting the Playstation 3 on March 16th, a mere month from now. To those who have never played the series before, now is a great chance to hop on board, as the Official God of War 3 site has the God of War Collection listed for $30. If I recall, the collection was initially $40 at release. You are getting two of the best Playstation 2 titles for $15 each, with upgraded visuals and Trophy support.

Having played and beaten the God of War Collection, I can say that even fans of the series that have yet to pick up the collection should do so. $30 is a steal.

Assassin’s Creed 2 Review

by Figboy

Genre: Sandbox Action/Adventure

Platform: Playstation 3, Xbox 360, PC

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal

Price: $59.99 (USD)

Despite the original Assassin’s Creed’s highly intriguing premise and impressively realized cities, the game play suffered from extreme repetition and blandness. Even so, I found it to be, overall, a compelling, interesting game. The ending left me a bit irked at it’s abrupt nature, and blatant attempt at shilling a sequel. Still, I figured it was just laying the groundwork for an even more impressive sequel.

And I was right.

Right off of the bat, Assassin’s Creed 2 establishes a more compelling world and characters. Players once again step into the shoes, or should I say, genetic memory, of Desmond Miles, who has been spirited away by fellow assassin Lucy Stillman, in order to be hooked up to the “Animus 2.0,” and uncover further information about the Templars and their latest plans.

The Mystic Armor of Do Not Use

While I’m waiting for Dragon Age’s next DLC, I thought I’d share my arcane warrior’s special armor. It claims to be noble clothing, but I’m not convinced.

Heavy Rain Demo Impressions

Hey folks! I got my  hands on a Heavy Rain demo code earlier today, and took it for a spin. Here are my thoughts.

Upon booting up the demo, what I found struck me was how good the visuals are. The menu screen is simply a shot of an alley that could be in any city, although I believe the game takes place in New York, with lots and lots of rain cascading down the buildings walls, and onto the concrete below. It really oozes atmosphere. The loading screen is an extreme close-up of the current character of the chapter’s face, and I was amazed at the level of detail and character. The game manages to avoid the “Uncanny Valley,” with eyes and facial features that are believable as real people, but slightly stylized just enough to not freak you the hell out.

ModNation Racers Speeding Onto PSP

Sony revealed today via the Playstation Blog that it’s upcoming Playstation 3 kart racing title will be making it’s way onto the PSP.

No other news is known about the game, other than it’s being developed by San Diego Studios, and will release on the same day as the Playstation 3 version. Feature wise, the game has all the features of the PS3 version: Creating, Playing, and Sharing your own Karts, Racers, and Tracks. You can play online with up to 6 people. There is no release date announced for the title, although it’s expected sometime in the 1 Quarter of 2010.  A trailer of the PSP version of the game can be found at the link below.

Source – Playstation Blog