Developer Tozai has been noticeably silent with regards to its upcoming take on Brøderbund's early computer platformer Lode Runner, and while our army of robots have once more returned empty handed, the media sleuths at IGN report that a seemingly "largely done" build of the XBLA remake was on hand at the Leipzig's media extravaganza.
The news leaves us wondering just when we'll be able to revisit our platforming roots, though the game's presence on the show floor was reportedly adorned with rather ambiguous signage that simply read "coming soon." We certainly hope so, because with both this and some sort of R-Type title in the works, Tozai has become adept at tugging at nostalgia's heartstrings.
This week American McGee's Grimm retells the story (in Grimm's special way) of the anthropomorphic Puss in Boots. The episode is free for everyone the first 24 hours after release and will be available only to GameTap subscribers after that time.
Grimm: Puss In Boots (Windows) - Cats are evil and Puss is no exception. Dogs rule!
Patrician III (Windows) - How to describe ... how to describe? Oh, it's like playing "Medieval Tycoon."
There are no new additions to GameTap's free games lineup this week. As always, though, the full list of free-to-play titles can be found after the break.
Capcom is showing Airtight Games' Gears of War/Crimson Skies/Rocketeer mash-up, Dark Void, at Games Convention – in fact, it's the very same section of the game that was on display at last month's E3. What's changed, though, is quite important: the frame rate. When we played the game less than 30 days ago, we liked it ... but we didn't like the sheer chugginess of it all.
You can see that things have improved markedly in these three new videos (two more can be found after the break). In them, Dark Void designer, Jose Perez III, details the game's story and concept, vertical gameplay, and flight gameplay, respectively. Airtight still has about a year of development time to make sure the game is, well ... airtight when it ships in '09.
Sega has a mighty lineup on public display (and behind closed doors) at Leipzig Games Convention 2008, comprised of titles from the East and West. MadWorld and Bayonetta, its collaborations with former Clover Studios staff, are there, as are Sonic games, strategy titles, DS wares, and more. But there's nary a sign of PSP support to be found. And it was doing so well with games like Crush. Ah well. You can check out screenshot galleries of everything Sega has on-show after the break.
Somehow, we always imagined the impending zombie apocalypse would involve more ... zombies. This latest footage of Dead Rising: Chop 'Til You Drop for Wii sees protagonist Frank West running sauntering through swarms groups of hundredsdozens 10 crazed bored zombies on what appears to be Super Bowl Sunday (or during the American Idol finale). It's nice to see the improved aiming mechanic in action, even if it is lifted directly from Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition. There's a longer gameplay trailer after the break, although we don't recommend viewing it while driving or operating heavy machinery.
Looks like the kids of Bullworth Academy are ready to practice their delinquency on PC. Eurogamer notes that a poster in the Leipzig Games Convention has the Bully logo with the words: "Demnachst fur PC."
We're positive some umlauts belong in there, but the basic message is that Bully is coming to PC "soon." Rockstar will probably make an official announcement sometime during the convention.
In development for PSP and mobile phones, Square Enix's third Parasite Eve game has largely been – like many of the company's titles are wont to be – a mystery. A new Famitsu interview with director Hajime Tabata (who's also heading up Fantasy Agito XIII for PSP) reveals that the game is a third-person shooter. Square Enix ... third-person shooter ... Dirge of Cerberus ... yikes!
Thankfully, Tabata says that while the game may share a genre with the reviled FFVII spin-off, it's different in that it's a "true" third-person shooter. Dirge was ... not-so-true, evidently. The game may also boast Wi-Fi play, something that Tabata says his team is "investigating." Hey, the game's lead, Aya Brea, is an investigator of sorts ... maybe she can help with that? (Fun fact: If the above image were to be used as the game's US box art, it would receive an automatic "M" rating from the ESRB ... because Aya is pointing her gun directly at the "viewer." Fun!)
We feel terribly sorry for the first man to come waltzing down the stairs in this video. No doubt venturing into the kitchen for an early morning snack, he's suddenly confronted by two gun-toting interlopers. "Rubber bullet!" he screams, in the unrequited hope that the firearms pointed at him will spare his life. A moment later, he's shot by both. Simultaneously. Oh, who knew that co-op could be so cruel?
Find the other perspective on the action after the break.
Capcom is showing the first multiplayer map from its next-gen current-gen Bionic Commando at Leipzig Games Convention, but isn't making with any screens of the mode. What you see above (and in the gallery below) are the latest screens from the solo campaign, which, oddly, isn't on display. Oh well.
From our experience with it thus far, the multiplayer mode is sheer mayhem -- four players swinging every which way in a confined area featuring buildings of various heights, trees, and overhead pipes to grapple. There are set spawn points for several weapons, including a shotgun, sniper rifle, sub-machine gun, and (our favorite) a grenade launcher. Mostly it's a mad dash for the latter in every match, but there are some interesting touches, such as getting extra points for killing other players while they're airborne, and the fact that you can grapple onto an opponent, slowing them down as they drag you along.
It's certainly one of the more unique multiplayer experiences we've tried, if just for the grapple and swing mechanic. As it stands, though, we're not convinced it will have (bionic) legs as a lasting experience on Xbox Live and PSN.
American McGee would be so proud. Konami has announced a new upcoming third-person action title called Lords of Shadow, which the company's European arm describes as "a dark fairy tale" in development for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. First announced during Leipzig's Games Convention, the game will be set in Europe during the Middle Ages, and promises to tell the story of "one man's journey to discover the true meaning of sacrifice amidst murder and betrayal." Honestly, this sounds more like fodder for daytime soap to us.
Being handled by Jericho developer Mercury Steam, the project is likely the result of a partnership between the two companies announced last March, at which time Konami called the game "a major part" of its release schedule for 2009-10. Konami has now narrowed that window a bit, confirming plans to have Lords of Shadow on retail shelves sometime in 2010.
In the midst of the Leipzig Games Convention, Microsoft has issued a statement (via IGN) about the much-ballyhooed and long-delayed Grand Theft Auto IV downloadable content. Said Microsoft, "In autumn there will be news from Liberty City; the first episodes of GTA IV will be available for download exclusively on Xbox LIVE, underlining Xbox 360's leadership role in the field of digital entertainment."
While we're fairly certain "news from Liberty City" is indicative of an Autumn launch, the "news" could just be a more confirmed release date for later this year. Take-Two previously noted that the DLC is expected in Fiscal Q109 (between November 1, 2008, and January 31, 2009). We've put in a call to Microsoft for clarification, who may or may not be too busy booking tickets to San Andreas. Update: Heard from Microsoft who confirm that the exclusive DLC itself is coming this Fall.
Well, consider us intrigued. From the creators of Indigo Prophecy (aka Fahrenheit) comes Heavy Rain, an atmospheric new adventure exclusively for the PlayStation 3. This in-game footage, first unveiled at Leipzig's Games Convention, depicts our finely rendered female protagonist investigating a distinctly unsettling house. Be sure to keep watching until the stunning scene at the end, where she bursts out the door and screams to the heavens, "Gotcha, suckas!"
We're sure to learn much, much more as we draw closer to Heavy Rain's forecast 2009 release.
We don't really see the point in new footage of Mad World. Oh, don't get us wrong, we're grateful for it. It's just that we're so clearly going to buy the game the moment it's within the reach of our grubby mitts, we don't know why Sega is trying to convince us to buy it harder.
But for those of you that weren't convinced pre-trailer, we're just going to assume you've firmly aligned yourself with the believers. Did you see that dude throwing other dudes into a fan? Did you see those cyclones picking up cars? Did you see that dude rubbing that other dude on a moving train? Are they serious with this? Can we buy two, one to play and one to crush up and mainline?
Valve really missed a good opportunity for a bad pun here by not calling it "Meat the Sandvich," but hey, it's still pretty damned funny. What's next in the series of loony videos? Meet the Bullet? Seriously though, we'd watch them all. Heck, just throw a TF2 cartoon on the air as part of Adult Swim and we'd be glued to our sets.
From making rival gangsters offers they can't refuse, to using your voice to command soldiers not to refuse orders, these fresh-off-the-editing-computer videos from EA's The Godfather II and Ubisoft's Tom Clancy's EndWar are presented for your viewing pleasure (and "Should I pre-order either of them?" evidence pool). The EndWar trailer is the same one being trotted out at the Leipzig Games Convention 2008; the first look at EA's gangster sequel was shown to the press last week at the publisher's annual Studio Showcase. But you don't have to travel to Germany (or even the Bay Area) to watch 'em – just click through after the break.
Source – Godfather II at GameTrailers Source – Tom Clancy's EndWar at GameTrailers
Check out all our coverage from the Leipzig Games Convention 2008!
See excerpts from The Art and Making of The Force Unleashed
Joystiq's Instrument Compatibility Matrix, v3.0: The cure to plastic peripheral perturbation
Did Too Human live up to its epic hype? Check out our Metareview
Joyswag: Persona shirts, signed art books
Listen to the Joystiq podcast (because your ears can't read)
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_thumbnail.jpg "i am 8-bit: 2008")
