I like [i]Guitar Hero[/i]. Quite a lot, actually. However, after watching the latest video for the upcoming, now Neversoft developed sequel, I find myself holding my ears while asking whatever rock gods will listen Just what in hell went wrong. Granted the game is not out, and I my change my tune after playing it – I hope – next month at E3.
From what can be seen in the clip, it appears that the developers have seen fit to change up the game’s head-to-head mode by adding a variety of offensive and defensive power ups coupled with some of the most intrusive sound effects I’ve ever heard. The ‘clank’ that has always followed the missing of notes in [i]Guitar Hero[/i] is meant to be annoying, but here the good and the bad are accompanied with the gnashing of metal and other grating noises that obscure Living Colour’s otherwise fantastic “Cult of Personality.”
Power ups such as these, which include “broken strings” and “lefty notes,” could be a nice addition, but with such a proven formula, it seems a shame that any tweaks should soil the otherwise pure rocking experience. From what’s shown here, it looks like someone got a puzzle game in my rock concert, and just like with Dance Dance Revolution‘s battle mode, I’m none too pleased.
French telecom subsidiary GOA and Electronic Arts have announced that more than 200,000 players have signed on to beta test the upcoming MMORPG Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. The game, which saw its retail debut recently delayed until 2008’s first quarter, is of course set within Games Workshop’s popular tabletop war game fantasy universe.
The companies began accepting applications from players in Europe and North America on May 30, and the 200,000 registration milestone was surpassed over the weekend, less than ten days after launch. Beta test applications are still [url=http://www.war-europe.com/]being accepted online[/url], by the way, just in case you didn’t get up early enough to catch the worm.
As a [i]Diablo [/i]clone, 2006’s [i]Shadowgrounds [/i]was a nice surprise, marrying elements of Blizzard’s isometric opus with other arcade greats like Alien Syndrome. Now the game’s follow up, [i]Shadowgrounds Survivor[/i] is now headed to North America care one again of Montreal, Canada publisher Meridian4.
According to Meridian4, the game tells the story of three playable characters who join forces with the last remaining human resistance in the heated battle against the ongoing alien onslaught. [i]Shadowgrounds Survivor[/i] will boast new gameplay features over its predecessor, including new vehicles such as a sentry turret and a mech.
In addition, modes players can expect include the single player campaign and a survival mode, as well as new graphics enhancements, integrated physics, an original soundtrack composed by [i]Shadowgrounds[/i]’ composer Ari Pulkkinen, and integrated mod tools.
As was the case with the original, [i]Shadowgrounds Survivor[/i] was developed by Helsinki, Finland studio Frozenbyte, which is also working on a brand new unannounced project which is expected to be released in 2008. Until then, however, action game fans should keep [i]Shadowgrounds Survivor[/i] on their collective radar for release later this year at retail and through digital download.
Now months after the frenzied November 7, 2006 debut of the Xbox 360 exclusive [i]Gears of War[/i], Microsoft and Epic Games have announced the release of eight new achievements for the “Annex” game mode and the “Hidden Fronts” multiplayer map pack over Xbox Live. Completing the new achievements will net you an additional 250 gamer points.
In addition, Epic has also fine tuned the game’s Roadie Run controls “so players have greater control of their movement and can better annihilate their pestilent enemies.” According to a statement announcing the update, the download will also address multiplayer exploits and “provide general housekeeping.”
The new downloadable content will be released on Thursday, June 14. The new multiplayer maps will cost you 800 Microsoft Points, however all four new maps will be released for free on September 3.
Now that the dust has settled from the recently closed [i]Halo 3[/i] multiplayer beta, Microsoft has revealed that the game was played by more than than 820,000 unique Xbox 360 users. To put that is perspective, that’s roughly the entire population of Delaware. That, my friends, is a lot of people talking smack.
Also impressive is that the beta, which was launched on May 16 and ran through June 6, was played for 12 million hours over Xbox Live, accounting for more than 350 terabytes of data downloaded over the online service. Users also saved more than 580,000 replay videos, a feature introduced with the beta, which amounted to more than 2.7 terabytes of data.
Finally, Microsoft has enlisted the services of noted comic book artist and toy company guru Todd McFarlane to design a pair of [i]Halo 3[/i] branded wireless Xbox 360 controllers, which will be released in early September alongside a [i]Halo 3[/i] wireless headset.
Look for [i]Halo 3[/i] to smash headlong into retail shelves on September 25.
