The B.P.H.P.

Monday Night Combat will be getting it's promised FREE DLC tomorrow with the Spunky Cola Special Pack. The DLC pack will add an Spunky Cola Arena for Crossfire mode, and the Survivitol Arena for Blitz mode.

Besides these new arenas, Uber will be fixing tweaks for private matches, as well as fixes to the classes to create a fair battleground once again. Plus now you will be able to get to level 99 and start all over like prestiging in CoD.

Case Zero, which enticed players with a few hours of zombie killin' gameplay with a small admission price, was a big success for Capcom and they will try it again in a few weeks when Dead Rising: Case West launches.

This epilogue to Dead Rising 2 will feature co-op play where two players will control Chuck Greene and DR1 star Frank West in an all new story. Photography will be added to the game as West and Greene look to find the truth behind the outbreak once and for all.

No price or official date was given, but let's hope it will be a fair price and before the holidays!

The wait is now over for the first map pack for Halo Reach as the Noble Pack is now available for 800 Points ($10). Check out more below:


"The fight for humanity rages on a galactic scale. From a frozen xeno-archaeology site harboring secrets millennia old to an orbital anchor defending the stars high above planet Reach - and to mysterious places far, far beyond - Bungie's Noble Map Pack injects three new explosive environments into the multiplayer battlefield, each designed to reinforce all of Halo: Reach's vital warfronts, from small scale engagements to massive Invasion battlegrounds."

Link To Content- Noble Map Pack (800 MSP / 329 MB)

To find the truth, you’re gonna have to go in the deep end.











Hydrophobia is an arcade game known in it’s previews for the impressive water effects it can bring. The ability to change the terrain with water and take out enemies using good ol’ H20 is a strong point in this game, but a few control issues and story flow provide unnecessary bumps in the overall ride of this game.


Save the World, Kill yourself



Hydrophobia has been set up as an multiple game story arc, and the beginning with this one seems to be pretty though, although a bit confusing. You play as Kate Wilson, an engineer aboard the Queen of the World ocean vessel and respond to a breach in security and possible leaks on the ship. A group of armed terrorists known as Maltusians have attacked and seek to spread their message to all: Save the World by Killing yourself. They may want people to kill themselves, but most of the time you’ll see Maltusians doing the killing since most are pretty well armed. Kate’s only got Scoot, you boss on the vessel who provide objectives and hints on your goals, and an LP47, a special handgun that allows you to change it’s type of ammunition to suit your situation. Exploring the vessel and recovering documents shows that something is a bit off about how the Maltusians could have attacked so easily. The plot begins to open up and then you’re hit with the ending, one that hasn’t bothered me as much since Halo 2. It took me a while to get into this game despite buying it when it first released, but over the holiday break, I sat down and roughly 2-3 hours later, I was done.


Mavi, Oh Mavi, where must I go?



A simple breakdown of the game will show that you need to get to an restricted area, complete an objective, and move onto the next area. Along the way you’ll probably get a bit lost, so then it’s time to take out your Mavi, a navigational tool that will aid Kate by displaying the map, and recovering cyphers to decrypt locked doors. Mavi is your greatest tool beside water and guns, and one that can even be used as a prop for your Avatar!

Save yourself, Kill the Maltusians



Maltusians may be armed and ready, but you’ve water on your side if you choose to use it. On the vessel there are areas that are free from water and have emergency doors that you can break to fill rooms up. Combining the LP47 and it’s rounds of ammunition or the stun attack will allow you to zap foes and unleash water on top of them in hopes that they’ll meet a watery doom. The combat is pretty fun, but exploration and solving objectives is the main focus in this game.

Pretty Water, you say?



Arcade games have changed a bit about how we used to perceive them. Originally ports of actual classic arcade games, over the years Xbox Live Arcade has brought together an impressive list of titles with retail worthy visuals. Hydrophobia sports some great visuals as well, especially the water effects as advertised. Water reacts in a natural way and when when you add water to an area, the time it takes is pretty accurate as well. When in water, you can view how the once dry objects are affected and how the Maltusians change up their tactics when forced to swim.


Conclusion

Hydrophobia is a good game, although it’s pretty short for $15, and with no lasting thoughts to me like something Limbo or Braid did, the price and hours of gameplay really got to me a few times. The story is pretty good, although it comes to an end at a weird spot, leaving you waiting until the next one for more answers. Since you can’t rent XBLA games, I would say check out the trial a few times and maybe play it a friends house who purchased it, or wait until it becomes discounted.









Developer- Dark Energy Digital

Publisher- Xbox LIVE Arcade

I write these Reviews on Giantbomb because their system for writing and importing pictures is fun and easy. All pictures for my reviews are courtesy of the Giantbomb users that upload them. Giantbomb

This weeks deal for Xbox Live involves a few arcade games involving insects. You can save up to 50% on the following games below. I'm thinking about Earthworm Jim, but I wanna save my points for Case West, so Capcom announce a date please! Getting back on topic though, check out these buggy deals below:

"Rediscover the grooviest action game of all time in full HD glory! For the first time, grab friends and combine your wormy powers in 4-player co-op locally or online. Explore all the original levels, experience wild gameplay and rock out the remastered cult soundtrack. But there's more to discover with brand new enemies to blast into pieces and never-before-seen locations. Now that's groooovy!"

Link To Deal- Earthworm Jim HD (413 MB/400 MSP)













"Worms 2: Armageddon is the most fully-featured digital version of Worms™ ever. With online and offline multiplayer, voice support, a raft of new weapons, all new landscape themes, play modes, hats, skins, speech-banks and single player content; it’s a package as high on fun as it is destruction!"

Link To Deal- Worms 2: Armageddon (168 MB/400 MSP)
















"Play as your Avatar and fight against bugs, spiders, even up to seven of your friends in Spider Hunter mode. Band of Bugs is a fast playing, accessible, tactics strategy game that puts YOU in the game! Gameplay is deep enough for established fans of the tactics genre, but friendly enough to appeal to casual gamers as well."

Link To Deal- Band of Bugs (413 MB/ 400 MSP)
















"In one of the most beloved arcade games of all times, players must destroy the Centipede as it moves faster and faster through a colorful mushroom field. Try your hand at this classic arcade game in its original form and completely re-stylized versions featuring evolved graphics and gameplay."

Link To Deal- Centipede & Millipede (39 MB/ 200 MSP)

ilomilo is an puzzle game released on the Windows 7 Phone and Xbox Live Arcade. Yep, you can buy this game on Xbox, but you'll need a code from the website below. Don't worry though, as I've used the site many times, and the codes seem to be infinite, so you'll have no trouble snagging one. It's an interesting to get word of the game's release out and the game is actually pretty cool. ilo and milo are little people looking find one another on each level and you help them out by moving obstacles in their way. Check out how to get a trial below and if you like, you can pick up the game for 800 MSP ($10):

Link To ilomilo- ilomilo redemption codes



Go ahead and grab a few below:


KPKPC-DJXHF-K4J6K-HGFP9-9C3RZ

6PJTC-VXX73-3XGC6-MC2XX-9R6QZ

TF33V-TQMHP-YDYKW-DWG79-WGMVZ

Crazy Taxi is now available for Xbox Live releases this week. The Dreamcast classic is a great game, but this version loses the music license, so the soundtrack is brand new. You could have the original songs playing in the background to bring back the experience, and for 800 Points its not a bad price. Check out more below:




"Hey hey, come on over and have some fun with Crrrrrazy Taxi! Barrel through traffic packed streets, hurdle off parking garages, and Crazy Combo your way to Crazy Money in a wild frantic race to scare up the most fares. In Crazy Taxi, time is money, and only the Craziest Cabbies come out victorious."

Link To Trial- Crazy Taxi Trial (133 MB)

Link To Full Game- Crazy Taxi (800 MSP)

How will the list change next time? Check back and find out!




Xbox 360 Top LIVE Titles


1 Call of Duty: Black Ops
2 Modern Warfare 2
3 Halo: Reach
4 FIFA Soccer 11
5 Fable III
6 Fallout: New Vegas
7 Call of Duty: WaW
8 Madden NFL 11
9 Call of Duty 4
10 Halo 3


















11 NBA 2K11
12 GTA IV
13 Red Dead Redemption
14 Gears of War 2
15 Battlefield: Bad Co. 2
16 Kinect Adventures!
17 Medal of Honor
18 NHL 11
19 Forza Motorsport 3
20 FIFA 10











Top Arcade Titles


1 SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD: THE GAME
2 Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Decade Duels
3 Guwange
4 Super Meat Boy
5 Faery: Legends of Avalon
6 DEAD RISING 2: CASE ZERO
7 Plants vs. Zombies
8 RISK: FACTIONS
9 THE KING OF FIGHTERS 2002 UNLIMITED MATCH
10 LIMBO













11 Trials HD
12 Peggle
13 Castle Crashers
14 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 4 Episode I
15 Bloody Good Time
16 Sonic Adventure
17 Game Room
18 Snoopy Flying Ace
19 3D Ultra MiniGolf Adventures 2
20 Family Game Night












Source- Major Nelson's Blog

Forgive your enemies, but remember their names










Call of Duty: Blacks Ops is a high octane ride through a surprisingly lengthy campaign, accompanied by the always addictive multiplayer and the return of a Zombies mode. Black Ops has it all, and all of it is great.

4815162342



Numbers play an important role the story of Black Ops, and as special forces operative Alex Mason, it’s up to you to figure out what they mean. Strapped to a chair and questioned by unknown people, Mason must recall all the events that led him to where he is. Viktor Reznoz makes a return from World At War, and plays a huge role in what is going on with Mason. He’s even a playable character at times, alongside a CIA operative Jason Hudson. You’ll spend time with these three characters with a story that moves very fast, just like the action that campaign will bring. Scripted events return as this is a staple of a Call of Duty game, so you can be sure there will be many epic moments in the game that the developers work on for you to see.

Clocking in around 7-8 hours if you play consistently, Black Ops’ campaign is a bit longer than previous Call of Duty games, and maintains the intensity throughout.

One. More. Match!



Multiplayer has always been the strong point of Call of Duty, and Black Ops is no exception. With a max Level of 50, then 15 prestige levels, you’ll be playing this game for quite some time.

Gaining levels will unlock new weapons, attachments and emblems to use, but now you will need to also purchase these items with the COD points, currency for each item you unlock. Acquiring these points is as simple as playing matches, and if you’re willing to gamble a bit, you can try to win big with wager matches.

The Default maps in multiplayer are great, and provide a great mix of small free for all areas, and bigger sections on maps that serve great for ground war.

Cool Clip, Bro



We’ve been easliy able to make small clips of our Halo gaming since 2007, and now Call of Duty is ready to offer it. In Black Ops, players are given a file share to share clips, sreenshots, and custom game types with people all over the world, and even browse through the most popular files all within Black Ops. Signing up for a Call of Duty account on their website allows to view your media online and download them to your desktop and makes it simple to upload onto Youtube if you wish.


More Zombies, Less Nazi



Zombies mode makes a return, and is even better than before. If you picked up the Hardened or Prestige editions of the game, you get access to the original maps, and everyone else gets three ways to play. Initially unlocked is titled ‘Kino Der Toten’, and features characters from the past zombie maps, and upon completing the campaign or entering a code will unlock ‘Five’, a map featuring the pentagon with a cast of very famous political men.

The other is a secret top down mode that can be found when exploring the main menu. It’s a lot of fun and something you would usually see on Xbox Live Arcade. With DLC coming sometime for Black Ops, I really hope they don’t forget about releasing more place for us to battle the undead.

Conclusion



Black Ops is good. Really good. Millions are enjoying it already, and Treyarch is at the top of their game. Must buy for fans of blowing stuff up, having fun with friends online, and taking down hordes of zombies.


Developer- Treyarch

Publisher- Activision

I write these Reviews on Giantbomb because their system for writing and importing pictures is fun and easy. All pictures for my reviews are courtesy of the Giantbomb users that upload them. Giantbomb

Which side of the force will choose?










The Original Force Unleashed was all about fast lightsaber action and dispatching of any one in your way as Darth Vader’s apprentince, and the end of that game brought up two choices. The sequel assumes you made one so that the story could make sense. The story in this game is great, and the action has been ramped up quite a bit, so fans who enjoyed the original will like this game.

Who is Starkiller?



Once again you are Starkiller, the secret apprentice of the Sith leader Darth Vader since the emperor is gone. You are tasked with eleminated the Rebels, including Vader’s biggest threat General Kota. Well you are sort of Starkiller I should say. If you’ve played the original, you know starkiller isn’t in the best of shape, so Vader decides to clone his apprentice to do his bidding. This process seems fine, until the clones begin having flashed of Starkiller’s memories that confuse them and leave them with questions. Vader seems annoyed at this until one clone seems to be able to cope. You play as this clone, ready to do your master’s bidding until the memories begin to affect you. Escaping the facility where you were held, you seek out to understand the memories while avoiding Vader in the process.

It won’t take long either, as this game is really short, and offers little in replayability besides the challenge mode and alternate costumes, so a rental is more than enough time to see the ending of the game and plenty of time to go after achievements and unlockable outfits.

You underestimate my power!



The action in TUF II is ramped up even more than the original, allowing you to blast through enemies in a breeze, and go crazy with dual lightsabers and improved force powers. Defeating enemies will score you points to use towards upgrades once again, and this will allow you to become even more powerful. Most enemies didn’t give me much trouble on Normal, and I’m sure on the higher difficulties the extra force power will come in handy.

Ive seen you before



The great thing about the Force Unleashed is that it shows many great characters that we’ve known for years, and each little appearance is welcome into the main story of the game.


Conclusion



There’s really not much else to say. The combat and visuals are great, and so is the story, but it just goes by too fast to warrant a $60 purchase. Star Wars the Force Unleashed II is a excellent rent, but not a great buy unfortunaltely.







Developer- LucasArts

Publisher- LucasArts

I write these Reviews on Giantbomb because their system for writing and importing pictures is fun and easy. All pictures for my reviews are courtesy of the Giantbomb users that upload them. Giantbomb

Start the Rebellion to Rule over Albion in Fable III.










Fable III follows in the footsteps of the previous games by allowing to you play as a male or female hero, but this time you are Royalty to the world. As prince or princess, you have lived alongside your brother Logan, the ruthless ruler who does not tolerate anything getting in his way when it comes to the decisions he is making, and the people that do suffer greatly for it. Now old enough to make a difference, will you stand up to him and rally the people, or will you lie your way to the kingdom and rule with an iron fist?

The Quest to Rule Albion



With Fable III, I felt more connected to the story and character this time since I was able to make decesions and really see how they would affect Albion firsthand.

As the son or daughter of your hero from Fable II, you have been pretty low key in the decisions made by your brother Logan, the ruthless king of Albion who lets nothing stand in his way while he decides what occurs throughout the land. Well some stuff goes down in the early parts of the game which has the people looking at you to make a difference.

The roughly 15+ hour main quest is very engaging and will keep you learning more about the world which will need your help and how it can change depending on your decisions throughout the world.

Sanctuary, Sanctuary!



Instead of browsing through menus to access weapons, armor, and abilities, pressing start will transport you to the Sanctuary, a room where you can change out properties on the fly and then transport back to the regualr world. If you ever need a explaination of what you can do in there, just ask your trust butler Jasper portrayed by John Cleese.

Combat



The combat in this franchise has always been pretty simplified in comparision to other rpg games and Fable III is no different. It’s main focus is on three uses: Magic, Melee and Firearms, and is as simple and effective as Fable II’s combat system.

Weapons can still be purchased and offer up various abilities once certain goals have been met with them. There is also a reduced number of available weapons to find, but that is mainly due to how they can upgrade and evolve over time.

On your quest to lead the people of Albion, you will find chests that require guild points to unlock that give you new magic and upgraded abilities. Completing quests will give you the needed points to upgrade, so make sure you complete the quest that can offer up a good amount of points and save for the better equipment.


Character Interaction



The interaction with the people of Albion has always been pretty hilarious and this time it’s a bit more intimate since you can only perforn expressions one on one with people. So no more passing gas in a big crowd or lute playing unless it’s one of the many minigames. It’s a minor problem since now it will take longer to gain affection from people to strenghten relationships.

The people I met along my journey all wanted help and asked me for a favor to their people and in return they would aid in my journey to the kingdom. Upon completing favors for them, they would accept me as a friend, and from that point I could turn it into something more.

The social aspects of Fable III are back, and a bit more in depth this time. Getting married will create a partnership which both spouse will receive money from property owned by you. Having kids is still in the game, and now you can adopt children if you wish.


Co-op



The biggest issues of co-op have been addressed in Fable III: both players can control their own hero, and both can have separate cameras!

Players can also marry one another online and begin partnerships which equals more gold for both players that can be saved for when you go solo in Albion.

In short, co-op is great, and will add more hours to the length of Fable III even more.

Conclusion

Fable III in my opionion is the best in the franchise, improving on all aspects that all the previous versions contained. It has a great and understanding story with memorable characters, as well as a fun and simple combat system. If you felt a little burned by Fable before, give it one more go and enjoy ruling over Albion.






Developer- Lionhead

Publisher- Microsoft Games Studio

I write these Reviews on Giantbomb because their system for writing and importing pictures is fun and easy. All pictures for my reviews are courtesy of the Giantbomb users that upload them. Giantbomb