Archive for July, 2009

Burnout Paradise



In Burnout Paradise players are treated to a rarity in the video games universe: a complete reinvention of an established franchise that equals, if not betters any of the previous games in the series. Yes, this is a large claim, but one that can be explained in a single phrase: Next-Gen Freedom.

Burnout Paradise logo

Driver's heaven is a wide open world
In Paradise City even cars can fly

In Paradise City even cars can fly. View larger.
Go for broke in 'Marked Man' Mode

Go for broke in 'Marked Man' Mode. View larger.
Nothing is off limits, even head-on crashes

Nothing is off limits, even head-on crashes. View larger.
Start a race anytime with 'Easy Drive.'

Start a race any time with 'Easy Drive.' View larger.
Although the Burnout series’ over the top mobile action has been its calling card since it ignited audiences on the PS2 in 2001, and later on the first generation Xbox console, Burnout Paradise is the first game in the series that has been designed specifically for play on Next Generation consoles. This has allowed game developer Criterion to rip the training wheels off the game and rebuild it from scratch. The result is a new, expansive world that players can roll through at will. And what a world it is.

Enter Paradise City
Heaven on Earth, at least to road-raging, crash-causing Burnout fanatics, Paradise City is your domain and ultimate proving ground in Burnout Paradise. This expansive driver’s playground stretches across 250 miles and encompasses all sorts of road driving conditions, from fun-in-the-sun seaside cruising boulevards, to mountain roads and downtown gridlock. But regardless of what stretch of asphalt you find yourself on, the beauty of this place is that nothing is blocked off and your wits are at least as important as the horsepower under your hood when it comes to racing here. Check out Paradise City’s five sub areas (click the links for sample images):

  • Downtown Paradise City
  • Harbor Town
  • Palm Bay Heights
  • Silver Lake
  • White Mountain
Burnout Your Way
Unlike in previous Burnout games, Burnout Paradise not only puts the keys to your ride in your hands, but places you squarely in the driver’s seat when it comes to where you can go and what you can do.

Along with wide avenues and crowded highways, the open game design of Paradise City is also jammed full of hidden side streets, back roads and alley ways. These can be used as short cuts in races, that is, if you know where they are. As you explore, commit these potential short cuts to memory because they will definitely come in handy in a tight race. And since we are talking Burnout here, players should not expect uneventful, genteel contests of speed and precision driving. In Paradise City players are always free to slam, shunt and wreck opponents in their bids for supremacy and they will. Also, new to the Burnout series, races can now start anywhere, anytime. Just pull up to a stoplight and spin your wheels to start one in one of five different event classes:

  • Classic Race
  • Road Rage
  • Burning Route
  • Stunt Run (new)
  • Marked Man (new)
Instant Online
Burnout Paradise also keeps the mobile carnage coming while simultaneously setting the new standard in online social gameplay. With the new ‘Easy Drive’ feature you can find friends online and with the click of a button invite them to a race. Once they’ve accepted the race will start immediately. That's right, no more annoying wait times at online lobbies and servers. And keeping in touch with friends is easier than ever.

Team up or Takedown
In the winner-take-all universe of Burnout teaming up usually isn’t the first option that comes to mind, but on these rough and tumble streets it's a good option to keep in mind. With more than 300 FreeBurn Challenges packed into the game, players always have the choice of going it alone against the field as a whole or joining forces with up to seven of your buddies in user-created race routes. Either way, if you are victorious in your takedown you'll get the chance to talk some trash as you exchange Mugshots with your victim via an optional camera hooked to your gaming system or your gamertag/PSN avatar if you prefer to keep your identity on the down-low.

Showtime: Crash Anywhere, Any Time
And finally since a new Burnout release wouldn't be complete without a little something special in the wreckage department, Burnout Paradise continues the carnage with an update of its familiar 'Crash Mode.' Renamed 'Showtime Mode,' players can now crash, bounce and scatter their ride in any location and replay the wreckage over and over in slow motion. One of the most addictive and down right fun features of the game, players activate the mode by simply pulling both triggers on their controller and if they are good enough can also immortalize their Showtime moments on the leaderboards for all to see.

Driving fans this is Next-Gen at its best and definitely the Burnout title you have been waiting for.

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The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess



When an evil darkness enshrouds the land of Hyrule, a young farm boy named Link must awaken the hero and the animal within. When Link travels to the Twilight Realm, he transforms into a wolf and must scour the land with the help of a mysterious girl named Midna. Besides his trusty sword and shield, Link will use his bow and arrows by aiming with the Wii Remote controller, fight while on horseback and use a wealth of other items, both new and old.



The most epic Zelda ever launches with the Wii.


Link roams an entirely new land of Hyrule. View larger.


Take control of your trusty horse as you travel from quest to quest. View larger.


Link must solve a number of challenging puzzles to progress to boss battles. View larger.


Fishing with the Wii Remote is a fun and worthwhile diversion. View larger.

Link's journeys, reinvented
Hailed by many as the best Zelda game since 1998's Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess thrusts players into a troubled world ravaged by a dangerous magic. Sporting a new, more realistic visual style than the previous Zelda title, Link looks much more like an adult than in previous installments and fits well into an environment that provides Zelda fans with a much more gritty and grim environment to explore. The entirety of the quest fits this darker mood, as both Link and NPC's alike share the same concern for the changes about in Hyrule.

More than just a spiritual successor to previous Zelda installments, Twilight Princess offers players a new way of controlling Link through dungeons, forests, towns, and the bizarre Twilight Realm: precise weapon controls with the Wii remote! Players can use the remote to control Links' weapons including the sword, arrows, and boomerang. This new control scheme allows for much faster and more accurate control than on previous Nintendo hardware. For example, waving the remote in the air will result in Link performing the same move with the sword. To fire off on arrow, players "pull back" on a virtual controller string as the Wii remote's speaker lets players know that the projectile is ready for release. It all works incredibly well and adds to the title's immersion and style- you feel more in the center of the action than in previous Zelda games.

As impressive as the new control scheme is, the scope and size of the new land of the Hyrule is equally as impressive- truly the Wii's first epic adventure. Beautifully crafted and four years in the making, the land players travel through is vast and diverse as the dungeons and monsters that lie within. As players collect triforce pieces from the distant sections of the continent, they will get to know many different villages and foes. Thankfully, Link will be able to move over long stretches of land faster thanks to "Epona," your faithful horse. Epona also helps Link become a more effective fighter, as a number of powerful and impressive sword strikes can be launched while galloping through fields of enemies.

The Twilight Realm awaits
Like most games in the Zelda franchise, Link begins his adventure with little more than the clothes he has on an an inkling that something has gone awry. After an initial trip to the Twilight Realm, in which Link appears as a wolf, a friendly shadow dweller named Midna will meet up with players and give helpful advice on gameplay. Fortunately for players, this virtual assistant spells out ways to be a more effective adventurer in and out of the shadow world. Early stages of the game have Link spending a lot of time in the Twilight Realm, and outdoor areas of Hyrule, attempting to clear areas of the strange darkness that has seemingly fallen over every village, forest, and field. As the story progresses, players will learn the cause of the shadows, and what they must to do vanquish them for good.

Puzzling puzzles
Link once again finds himself in a number of classic Zelda-esque puzzle scenarios in which he must light torches to unlock doors, raise and lower water levels, and fight enemies to collect keys and open chests for valuable rupees. A number of the dungeons present unique puzzle challenges that rely on the player's ability to hone their Wii remote's control, such as an air castle in the sky that can only be accessed by an extremely accurate grappling hook toss.

In general, Twilight Princess is more challenging than the average Zelda game, with a number of boss battles having protracted hit sequences with little support potions about, and even less warning. Still, there's never been an adventure experience such as this, wherein players can literally charge at a dungeon boss with their fists and punch the air to defeat an enormous foe. As the finest Zelda experience in almost ten years and the game fans have been waiting for, Twilight Princess will delight young and old gamers alike.

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Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories



Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories bridges the gap between the original Kingdom Hearts and the sequel, Kingdom Hearts II. Chain of Memories from Square Enix for the Sony PlayStation 2 is a complete 3D remake of the original Game Boy Advance release from 2004. This "bridge" installment was released in Japan in 2007 as part of the Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+ compilation before finally making its way to North America. Combined with the card battle system of the original Game Boy Advance release, Chain of Memories for PS2 presents Kingdom Hearts fans with an entirely new gameplay experience.



This remake of the GBA original features improved graphics. View larger.


Donald and Goofy will lead you to spectacular adventures. View larger.


You'll meet and get advice from many familiar faces. View larger.
The Prologue
The story begins with Sora, Donald and Goofy wandering through endless fields. Eventually, they come to a crossroad. Standing in the crossroads, Sora gazes up at the night sky and thinks of his lost friends.

From the distance, a mysterious man approaches from one of the roads. "Ahead lies something you need," he says, "but to claim it you must lose something dear." The man vanishes, revealing a single path that leads to the eery Castle Oblivion, which resembles a girl's drawing.

The Story
After this encounter, Sora, Donald, and Goofy go their separate ways. Soon, on a night when his island home is besieged by a mysterious storm, Sora is whisked away to an unfamiliar burg known as Traverse Town. There he meets Donald and Goofy, and learns that there are strange things happening in the world.

Donald and Goofy set off to look for their missing king, and Sora joins them to search for his lost friend, Riku. After a long journey that takes them across numerous worlds, Sora and friends finally find Riku and the lost king. But to save all the worlds, Sora must use his Keyblade to close the door to darkness, even though Riku and the king are on the other side. Believing the king's parting words -- there will always be a door to the light -- Sora locks the door, and the trio sets out on yet another journey.

The Characters
The cast of Chain of Memories combines Kingdom Hearts characters with familiar Disney faces. Sora, is a 14-year-old boy and the hero of this tale. Although a little naive, Sora has an uncommon sense of justice. On his journey, Sora is accompanied by Donald, a court wizard who shares a striking resemblance to Donald the Duck of Disney fame, and the clumsy, easy-going captain of the Disney Castle Royal Knights, Goofy.

Other characters include the mysterious, shrouded man from the crossroads; Sora's lost friend, Riku, a 15-year-old boy who is cool and collected; the lost King, who bares a striking resemblance to Mickey Mouse; and Kairi, a 14-year-old girl who's friends with Sora and Riku. Almost more strange than the man at the crossroads, a mysterious girl, Namine, draws pictures inside Castle Oblivion under close surveillance of an evil organization. As the story alludes, she may hold the key to Sora's most special memories.

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Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade



Journey to a world beyond the realms of imagination and engage in battles to save Aven, a timeless city of safe haven and the last remaining stronghold of Good in a world of Evil. As a dark threat looms and a gathering of unknown forces grows stronger, heroes have been called and the Brotherhood of the Blade has been formed. It is up to you and your chosen brothers to unravel the mysteries of this looming peril. Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade offers on-the-go action-RPG combat, intense multiplayer battles and a completely original adventure for you to uncover.
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Star Wars: The Force Unleashed



The Star Wars saga will continue in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, a videogame developed by LucasArts, which casts players as Darth Vader's "Secret Apprentice" and promises to unveil new revelations about the Star Wars galaxy. The expansive story, created under direction from George Lucas, is set during the largely unexplored era between Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. In it, players will assist the iconic villain in his quest to rid the universe of Jedi - and face decisions that could change the course of their destiny.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Logo
Join the Dark Side
You are Darth Vader's Secret Apprentice
You are Darth Vader's Secret Apprentice
View larger.
Use the power of The Force to disable your enemies
Use the force to disable your enemies
View larger.
Artwork of the Jedi
Artwork of the Jedi "Maris"
View larger.
As its name implies, The Force Unleashed completely re-imagines the scope and scale of the Force by taking full advantage of newly developed technologies that will be seen and experienced for the first time: Digital Molecular Matter (DMM), by Pixelux Entertainment, and euphoria by NaturalMotion Ltd. Paired with the powerful Havok Physics system. DMM incorporates the physical properties of anything in the environment so that everything reacts exactly like it should - wood breaks like wood, glass shatters like glass, plants on the planet Felucia bend like plants on the planet Felucia would, and more. Meanwhile, as a revolutionary behavioral-simulation engine, euphoria enables interactive characters to move, act and even think like actual human beings, adapting their behavior on the fly and resulting in a different payoff every single time.

Game Features:
  • During the period between Episodes III and IV, players hunt Jedi in the role of Darth Vader's Secret Apprentice.
  • Unleash and upgrade the Secret Apprentice's four core Force powers - Force push, grip, repulse and lightning - throughout the course of the game, and combine them for ultra-destructive, never-before-seen combos.
  • Examples of unleashing the Force in ways never thought possible:
    • The Secret Apprentice won't just Force push enemies into walls - he'll Force push enemies through walls.
    • The Secret Apprentice won't just Force grip foes to throw them aside - he'll Force grip them in midair, zap them with lightning, then drop them to the ground to explode like a bomb.
  • In addition to new adversaries created just for the game, such as fugitive Jedi and Force-sensitive Felucians, players will also confront and associate with familiar face s from the Star Wars films, including Darth Vader.
  • Visit locations such as Episode III's Wookiee homeworld Kashyyyk and the floral Felucia, the junk planet Raxus Prime, plus an Imperial TIE fighter construction facility.
  • The Force Unleashed debuts Digital Molecular Matter from Pixelux and euphoria behavioral simulation from NaturalMotion Ltd.
  • LucasArts is preparing an unprecedented promotional effort around the launch of The Force Unleashed, encompassing a full line of toys and game-based action figures from Hasbro, as well as a full publishing program from Dark Horse, Del Rey and Palace Press.

Meet the Cast
The Star Wars Saga will continue in 2008 with LucasArts' biggest-ever video game event. Set during the "dark times" between Episodes III and IV, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed portrays the previously untold story of Darth Vader's Secret Apprentice -- and now you can put a face to that mysterious character as well as the major supporting cast members as LucasArts unveils the actors set to star in The Force Unleashed.

The Cast of The Force Unleashed

The New Technology of The Force Unleashed
With The Force Unleashed, LucasArts not only introduces a new chapter in the Star Wars saga, but also two completely new and innovative technologies -- Digital Molecular Matter by Pixelux Entertainment and euphoria by NaturalMotion Ltd. These groundbreaking technologies combine with Havoc physics to create gameplay and the Force like it's never been seen or experienced before.

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