The B.P.H.P.

In the future, man’s best friend is a gas mask.



















Over the past years in videogames we’ve been able to experience a world post nuclear attacks and struggle against new enemies, scavenge around for tools, and try and survive to see another day. Metro 2033 was released in March of 2010, and gave us a different take on that type of experience. I finally had a chance to play the game, and I was pretty impressed.

Taking elements from Fallout, Bioshock, and a little Silent Hill mixed in, Metro delivers a world full of desperation, and as Russian survivor Artyom, you can experience a new take on life after the nuclear apocalypse and looking for a way to improve life.


Defense against the Dark Ones



Like with many Post-apocalyptic games, Metro introduces creatures who have emerged and changed due to the nuclear effects. The nosalies are the common type, and these creatures have found a way into Artyom’s Metro home, so to protect his people, he embarks on a way to rid the Metro of these creatures. Throughout the game you’ll learn of a bigger threat: The Dark Ones. These creatures are more intelligent than the common enemies and appear to be sending a message to Arytom. It isn’t clear until the end what they want, but based on your decisions, the ending can be changed.


What are ya buyin’?

Like with Fallout 3 and New Vegas, the world of Metro 2033 has adopted a new currency to use: Bullets. Depending on the quality of bullets you find, you will be able to purchase new weapons, gas fillers, ammo for specific guns, and med kits.

You’ll be engaging with the enemy in different areas, and having ammo to use is crucial to survival, but the thing about the game is that your currency is also your current ammo.

Every bullet will count. Literally.


Breath of fresh air



The surface in Metro 2033 is so badly damaged that traversing the dead land requires a gas mask. You have a watch that determines the amount of radiation in your area, and since there is essentially no HUD, you will have to regularly check your watch for the levels and how much air you have left in the mask.

In fights, your mask can damaged, so you really have to be careful when fighting on the surface since Gas masks are a bit harder to come by then ammo and weapons. There were a few times I was stuck during the game because I was scrambling to find more air for the masks, and once you run out you have only about 20 seconds to live before Artyom succumbs to the contaminated air.

It’s pretty intense, but can also be a bit annoying, especially on the harder difficulties when your health runs down even faster.

Enjoy the tour




The greatest feature about Metro 2033 has got the be the atmosphere of the game. You’ll see tons of people all grouped in the small Metros and overhear conversations of bored and hungry children, and the yells of merchants hoping to make some deals off the goods they have just received. The Russian dialogue is great as well as the creatures you will face. There are truly some pretty scary moments in 2033, and I rarely get scared from playing a game. The surface looks pretty nice in a nuclear explosion kind of way and feels almost depressing to look around. In this world, the people have no place to go except underground while the radiated creatures roam the surface looking for anything to eat or kill.



Conclusion

This singleplayer only game really impressed me with it’s atmosphere and story and something I believe is worth checking out. The A.I enemy can be a little weird at times, and take more shots than they probably should, but this game is a great experience and another great look at the world after destruction












Developer- 4A-Games

Publisher- THQ



All pictures for my reviews are courtesy of the Giantbomb users that upload them. Giantbomb

So far Dead Space 2 is every bit as awesome as the original. The small improvements that Dead Space needed are here, alongside some pretty fun multiplayer options.

What I really like so far is the addition of a voice to Issac Clarke. You still feel like you're Issac mostly alone on the Sprawl, but having a voice to the character helps alot as well without taking away that feeling.




Combat feels even better than the original, and all the weapons from the previous game return to help aid your fight against the deadly Necromorphs.

I hope to have a review soon for the game, but initial impressions say this is a worthy $65.

This week's Xbox Live deals are water themed and feature three great XBLA titles. Gold Members can save on Hydro Thunder, Hydrophobia, and Aqua. I highly reccomemebr Hyrdophobia, especially now that you can pick it up for 400MSP and the experience the game with all the improvements they made since it's release. Check out the deals below:






"This all-new sequel to the legendary arcade hit features amazing dynamic water physics, transformable rocket-powered boats, gorgeous visuals and over-the-top interactive environments. Single player games include Race and Championship, and two brand new modes: Ring Master and the explosive Gauntlet. Combine local 4-player split-screen and online multiplayer games with 8 players over Xbox LIVE."

Link To Deal- Hydro Thunder (800 MSP)












"Hydrophobia™ is a third person survival adventure set in a floating city, where terrorists take control and heroine Kate has to overcome her haunting childhood memories and fight back using all her skills and expertise as a systems engineer. Hydrophobia offers fast-paced action and breathtaking visuals; engage in mind blowing “flow combat” where emergent gameplay results in a never-the-same-experience. Unleash floating oil fires, electricity and the power of the water itself to wipe out your enemy as you discover the terrifying truth of the Malthusian agenda; Save the World, Kill Yourself."

Link To Deal- Hydrophobia (400 MSP)














"Get the full game now and try your guns in the epic campaign of explosive steampunk naval warfare! Follow the story of captain Benjamin Grey and his trusted fellow engineer Polly Edison in their struggle to save the Aqua world from a treacherous conspiracy, pulling the strings behind a massive conflict of two rivaling naval empires... Try out new ship types, weapons and upgrades and perfect your tactical skills with four different squad types. The full game also contains single-console multiplayer cooperative and competitive modes on six different maps."

Link To Deal- Aqua (400 MSP)

The First Strike Map Pack for Black Ops hit tomorrow in Xbox Live, but everyone will be getting a chance to earn Double the Experience points this weekend.

From Feb. 4th-6th, players on the PC, PS3, and 360 will be able to rank up a bit faster, so be sure to hop online earn 'Double Points'!

The game someone tried to steal at Last year's PAX is officially out to play legally. Breach is an first person shooter with a battlefield-like feel when I see clips of it, but looks pretty interesting as well. Check out the trial and see if you like it. The full game will cost 1200 MSP ($15):


"Breach is a first-person military shooter that unleashes enough destruction to change the very nature of multiplayer combat. Crash ceilings on opponents. Create murder holes. Disintegrate cover. Punch holes through floors. Blow out walls. Collapse entire buildings. And, so much more."

Link To Trial- Breach Trial (1.22 GB)

Link To Full Game- Breach (1200 MSP)

Dead Space 2 was just released today but that hasn't stopped EA from announcing plans to release a new standalone addon titled Dead Space 2: Severed.

Severed will feature feature two chapters where you can play Gabe and Lexine, the main protagonists from Dead Space: Extraction. Their story is set to take place alongside Issac's in the Dead Space 2 timeline.

Source- Gamerzines

It's been a while since a great demo has been available as the most recent one's have been Kinect only, but today you can get a glimpse of Bulletstorm and Crysis 2. Check out more below:








"Play through the incredible 'Collapsed Building' level in Bulletstorms high scoring 'Echoes ' mode. Arm yourself with the PMC, Flail gun and Screamer pistol and unleash Bulletstorms unique combat mechanics and skillshot system to annihilate your foes and, more importantly, top the leaderboards! Fight your way through a towering high rise hotel that has fallen on it's side, providing you with a unique and beautiful canvas to splatter with your enemies insides! Utilise Gray's kick, leash and sliding abilities in combination with outrageously large guns that feed into Bulletstorm’s distinct ‘skillshot’ system to produce unprecedented levels of frantic gameplay and yell-inducing satisfaction."

Link To Demo-Bulletstorm (1.08 GB)











"Aliens are decimating New York City, with a full invasion force bent on the annihilation of mankind. Neither paramilitary law enforcement nor the might of the US military can stand against the invaders. Only you have the technology to survive: with the unique Nanosuit 2, tackle the alien menace in ways a regular soldier could only dream of."

Link To Demo-Crysis 2 (1.80 GB)

Crytek will be releasing a multiplayer demo for Crysis 2 on Jan. 25th. It's gonna be an awesome since that is also when Dead Space 2 releases, as well as the Bulletstorm demo from People Can Fly.

The Crysis 2 demo will feature some 6 on 6 multiplayer action and will include a map called Skyline, will feature two game modes: Team Instant Action and Crash Site, an deathmatch and objective variant with some Crysis flavor.

The demo is exclusive to Xbox 360, so hopefully it will only be a timed exclusive.



Source- Xbox360Achievements.org

Duke Nukem Forever comes out May 3rd, 2011.

I don't know what else to say really.

According to the First Access club email, users who received a code from Borderlands GOTY edition will be able to play a demo shortly before then. Check out the launch trailer below!

Dead Space 2 comes out January 25th, and players who pick up a copy will recieve a code to don Issac Clarke's suit for use in Dragon Age 2. Awesome!

The suit is said to include unqiue attributes for players as well as being stylish. Check out the trailer below:

This week for Arcade releases is Spare Parts, an co-op robotic adventure game featuring online and offline play. As with last weeks release, the game will cost you 800 MSP ($10). Check out more below:




"Spare Parts tells the story of courageous robots Mar-T and Chip, who find themselves dumped out with the rubbish on a strange planet. Working together in co-op mode (either local or online), the mechanical duo must find a way to repair an abandoned space ship and escape the planet before evil Lord Krung can dispatch his henchmen to destroy them. Searching the hostile environments for ship parts and currency, Mar-T and Chip will also collect upgradable action parts – such as Rocket Boots – to unlock new abilities that will aid them as they rescue other stranded robots, and battle countless enemies including the relentless Krofax troopers, hostile spider monkeys and even a Super Huge Mega Laser! Can our heroes rescue their stranded robotic friends and unearth all of the spare parts they need to make their escape?"

Link To Trial- Spare Parts Trial (925.5 MB)

Link To Full Game- Spare Parts (800 MSP)

Gabe Newell was joking about the PS3 version of Portal 2 being the one to get. In a press release today, Valve has detailed the features of Portal 2 on PS3. Not only will you be able to chat with your Steam friends, PS3 users who link their PSN and Steam account will be able to play with PC or Mac players and have their saves available with the cloud storage. Pretty sweet, huh? Well thats not all: PS3 users will also be able to receive a code for the PC version of Portal 2 as well!


So when Portal 2 comes out this April, PS3 users will be pretty happy with some awesome features!

Source- Gamertag Radio

As with Final Fantasy X, last year's multiplatform Final Fantasy XIII will be receiving a direct sequel with Final Fantasy XIII-2 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. From the picture above, it seems there will be a new addition to the roster alongside main protagonist Lightning. Guess I better pick up XIII and complete so I can be ready for this one!

It's said to launch this year, but most likely for Japan first and then the rest of the world.

XIII was fun, but it wasn't a traditional Final Fantasy, so I hope they change things to feel more like the classic games in this franchise.

Source- Joystiq

The Xbox Live Deal of the Week this time is Plants vs. Zombies. This great game from Pop Cap is pretty awesome, and you can pick it up for 800 MSP ($10) saving you 33% from the original 1200 MSP ($15) Price Point. Check out more below:

"Get ready to soil your plants!"

Link To Deal- Plants vs. Zombies (800 MSP/ 82 MB)

Coming Feb. 1st to Xbox 360 is the first map pack for Black Ops, titled First Strike. The pack will include 4 new multiplayer maps alongside one new zombie map. In the video, you can get a glimpse at Kowloon, Discovery, Berlin Wall and Stadium.

No details yet on Ascension, the new Zombie map, but I'm sure there will be soon!

This week for Arcade releases is Zeit², an co-op space shooter published by Ubisoft and created by Brightside games. The game will cost you 800 MSP ($10). Check out more below:




"Experience the next generation of shoot ’em ups with Zeit²! Travel through time to co-op play with a copy of yourself! Pull off amazing moves to defeat 8 massive bosses! Pace the game and improve your score with the powerful fast forward feature! Discover 6 unique game modes and beat 70 challenges in this innovative and action packed arcade game!"

Link To Trial- Zeit² (227.5 MB)

Link To Full Game- Zeit² (800 MSP)

Arriving sometime next month with a set of arcade games from Microsoft's House Party promotion, is the 2003 gem Beyond Good & Evil. Officially named 'Beyond Good & Evil HD', this version of the game will run at 60fps and will feature updated textures and tweaks. I really enjoyed this game when it released, having picked it up for PS2 after playing a demo for it, and found myself having a lot fun with the story, characters, and atmosphere.

If you never played this game, try it out when releases and I'm sure you'll have a great time with it.

Happy New Year! This week's XBLA Release was previously available by visiting a website for ilomilo, but if you never did that don't worry as the game is officially out on Xbox Live. The trial gives you a few level to play so you can get a feel of ilomilo and the puzzles you'll need to solve to bring these two back together again. Check out more below:


"Explore the visually lush dream world of IloMilo. Challenge yourself with exciting puzzles as you dive deeper and deeper into the story. Play along with a friend or family member and share the journey. Beautiful and full of charm, the game is equally appealing to seasoned gamers and young families alike. The puzzles are easy to learn, but challenging and deeply rewarding to find all the hidden surprises. Experience the unique, fun new co-op experience where you and a friend or family member can take control of ilo and milo and help guide each other through the exciting puzzles."

Link To Trial- ilomilo Trial (185 MB)

Link To Full Game- ilomilo (800 MSP)