The B.P.H.P.

Voltron is here! Today's releases in XBLA includes the classic show turned game, as well as an arcade version of the popular trivia game Scene it. Both games will cost you 800 MSP ($10) if you want to download them.

Check out more below:




"From days of long ago, from uncharted regions of the universe, comes a legend. The Legend of Voltron. Defender of the Universe. A mighty robot, loved by good, feared by evil. Take control of your favorite Lion and join forces on Xbox LIVE to defend the Far Universe. Visit iconic locations from classic series including Arus and Planet Doom. Take on enemy forces in four different game modes. Battle Zarkon's minions in Survivor Mode as a pilot, engage in ground assaults in Lion Mode or cross the glalaxy in Space Mode, or coop with four friends in Voltron Mode to confront massive Robeasts! Voltron fans, Mega-Thrusters are go!"

Link To Trial- Voltron Trial (1.13 GB)

Link To Full Game- Voltron (800 MSP)




"Scene It? Movie Night is your ticket to an exciting movie trivia showdown, packed with clips from your classic favorites and the biggest box-office blockbusters. Show off your cinematic know-how with friends and family through 14 brain-twisting puzzle categories, and prove you’ve got what it takes in a fast-and-furious multiplayer showdown. Scene It? Movie Night includes Mega Movies, an action-packed collection of challenges focused on the biggest, most memorable, most “mega” films of all time! Play on your own, or compete against friends in 2-4 player multiplayer. With downloadable content available via Xbox LIVE Marketplace, players always have a fresh play experience."

Link To Trial- Scene It? Movie Night Trial (1.27 GB)

Link To Full Game- Scene It? Movie Night (800 MSP)

Once More Unto The Row


Saints Row: The Third doesn't take itself seriously, but it does contains some serious amount of fun. Whether you're playing through missions to progress the story, running around the city messing with pedestrians, or completing one of the many activities in the game, you're bound to have a blast with this over-the-top open world game. Saints Row 2 introduced more of the crazy gameplay elements to the series, and The Third rises the bar even further with more variety and twice as many crazy moments.





Things start off pretty intense in Saints Row: The Third. After taking over Stillwater once again, the Saints become huge icons and expand their name with marketed clothes, comics, movies, and even a energy drink. No matter how popular they have become, the Saints still have the itch to be criminals, and this eventually puts them in a predicament with Morning Star, one of the new groups who seek control of the Saints business. I wouldn't call them a gang because their reach is much higher and they seek to make a deal with the Saints before resulting to violence, but if the Saints just agreed there wouldn't be too much conflict in this game.

After some crazy things happen that are too awesome to spoil, the Saints find themselves in a new city called Steelport. While still being recognized as celebrities in a way, the Saints still have to work their way to the top. There are about 47 missions that take you through the story elements of Saints Row, and took me about 16 hours finish, with a nice chunk of that time completing other activities. I'm currently working on completing all of the activities and have since surpassed the 20 hour mark with the game.



The way you play the game has changed a little bit with Saints Row: The Third. The respect meter that required you to have a certain amount to continue more story missions has been replaced with a leveling system. When you level up, you unlock the ability to upgrade your character and could eventually have a character that receives no damage from bullets, wield infinite ammo guns, and have access to nitrous to any car you jump in.

It's nice that you're not forced to complete activities to advance the story, but they're still pretty fun to do. Favorites return like Trail-Blazing, Insurance Fraud, and Mayhem, and are accompanied by some new ones that help flesh out the mix of activities. Hitman missions and Vehicle Theft assignments return too, helping to add more things to the game. I usually hold off on a few of these after I complete the game, just so I still have a few things to do in the world after the credits roll.

There's also the new survival to play, called...ahem...Whored Mode. This survival mode takes place in different environments where you must take on waves of different enemies, most notably Ladies of the Night.



Player Customization is still a major element to the game, and now you can share your creations with friends. If you downloaded the Initiation Station, you could import your created characters as long as you visited the Saints Row website and made them available to share. Make sure you do this as there is an achievement to be had! There are also more stores to enter and even more variety in the types of outfits you can create for your character.

When initially making your character, you also have the choice of three male & female voices, and even a zombie voice to use for your character.

Competitive Multiplayer is gone in this game, with Co-op play being the sole multiplayer experience available. Purchasing used, renting, or borrowing the game will require players to pony up $10 for the Online Pass, which then grants the ability to play co-op and have a partner in horde mode.



Saints Row: Third looks better, plays better, and offer more options than it's predecessors and gives you plenty to do in it's open world. There's plenty to keep you playing hours after you've beaten the game, and with downloadable content coming down the line, it looks to offer up more wacky fun stuff soon.





Developer-Volition, Inc.
Publishers- THQ Inc.
Release Date- November 15th, 2011
Price- $59.99 MSRP

This review is based on the Xbox 360 version Saints Row: The Third

RAGE was released last month to high & low reviews, but if you've wanted a chance to check out the game for yourself, there is now a demo for the game to play. RAGE is also being discounted this weekend, so if you enjoy the demo you could pick up the game and save some money too!



"Get RAGE for as low as $29.99! That’s up to 50% off the suggested retail price of $59.99! For a limited time only, Friday, Nov. 25 thru Sunday, Nov. 27 at participating retailers. Taxes extra where applicable. Other restrictions may apply. Check your favorite game retailer for details and participation. Welcome to Wellspring, a small oasis of civilization in the Wasteland. The Ghost Clan, a cult of murderous fanatics, has infiltrated the waterworks beneath the town with plans to poison the water supply, and you’re the only one with the weapons, talent and courage to stop them. Also while in Wellspring you can meet the townsfolk, try your hand in games of skill and chance, peruse the wares of the local vendors or hit the Speedway for some white-knuckle racing."

Link To Demo- RAGE (2.03 GB)

The Xbox LIVE Preview Program has been up & running for a few weeks now, but the official release for the new Xbox 360 Dashboard is just around the corner. Coming on Tuesday, December 6th, everyone will have access to the following new features:

* New personal and social features including Cloud Storage for Game Saves and LIVE Profile
* Beacons and Facebook Sharing
* Enhanced Family Settings
* Integrated voice and gesture controls across the dashboard and in apps
* Bing voice search (Available this year in the US, UK and CA)

Other new apps will also be added after the update releases, including UFC on Xbox Live, HBO Go, and Youtube.

-Source-
Major Nelson

Rockstar games has announced that Max Payne 3 will receive a special edition that will retail for $99. Starting now until January 15, 2012, you can preorder the edition which will include the following:



• A copy of Max Payne 3.

• 10” tall Collectible Max Payne Statue created in a collaboration between TriForce and Rockstar Games.

• Series of game-inspired Original Still Life Art Prints that depict some of Max Payne’s inner demons and vices.

• Copper and brass-plated iron, bullet-shaped Bullet Keychain featuring a screw-off back.

• Classic Multiplayer Character Pack of eight playable multiplayer characters for Max Payne 3 Multiplayer, including fan favorites from the original Max Payne and Max Payne 2 like Max Payne from Max Payne 2, Mona Sax and Vladimir Lem.

• Disorderly Conduct Multiplayer Weapons Pack for Max Payne 3 Multiplayer that includes the Hammerhead Auto Shotgun, G9 Grenade Launcher and Molotov cocktail.

• Max Payne 3 Official Soundtrack featuring the game’s instrumental score.

If you're looking to grab all of this content, be sure to get your preorder in soon!

-Source-

Rockstar Games Newswire

Modern Warfare 3 is now the number one most played game on Xbox Live, but that's not too much of a surprise. I'm happy to see that Skyrim is in the top ten, as it's one of the only strictly single-player games out there. I'm sure eventually Assassin's Creed: Revelations and Saints Row The Third will pop up soon.


Xbox 360 Retail Titles

1.)----Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
2.)----Call of Duty: Black Ops
3.)----Battlefield 3
4.)----Modern Warfare 2
5.)----Gears of War 3
6.)----FIFA 12
7.)----Skyrim
8.)----Halo: Reach
9.)----Madden NFL 12
10.)---GTA IV
11.)---Batman: Arkham City
12.)---Forza Motorsport 4
13.)---NBA 2K12
14.)---Call of Duty 4
15.)---FIFA Soccer 11
16.)---Halo 3
17.)---NHL12
18.)---NCAA Football 12
19.)---Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood
20.)---Call of Duty: WaW



















Xbox Live Arcade Titles

1.)----SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD: THE GAME
2.)----Pinball FX2
3.)----Dungeon Defenders
4.)----Fusion: Genesis
5.)----Fruit Ninja Kinect
6.)----Shinobi
7.)----REAL STEEL
8.)----LIMBO
9.)----Castle Crashers
10.)---Deadliest Warrior
11.)---NBA JAM: On Fire Edition
12.)---DAYTONA USA
13.)---Bejeweled 3
14.)---Trials HD
15.)---Zombie Apocalypse: Never Die Alone
16.)---The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile
17.)---Magic: The Gathering — Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012
18.)---Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection
19.)---GUARDIAN HEROES
20.)---Peggle

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

-Source-

Major Nelson's Blog

With all the retail games getting a lot of attention nowadays, it's easy to forget about XBLA. But you can't! This week's release is a neat looking shooter called Xotic. I'm definitely gonna try out the trial and see how the game plays. You should too!

Check out more below:




"Think you know shooters? Think again. XOTIC is a completely new hybrid; rack up massive point chains, play on 23 levels, and compete globally. Create transparent aerial landing platforms while going for some arcade-style point pick-ups. Use power-ups to boost your abilities. And fire up eight upgradeable weapons to combat the minions of the Orb. All while roaming beautiful but mysterious environments. You’ll see stuff you’ve never seen before, because there’s never been a game like this before."

Link To Trial- Xotic Trial (518 MB)

Link To Full Game- Xotic (800 MSP)

The blockbuster series returns to finish their fight with Makarov


Modern Warfare 3 offers up some intense action in all of its modes. Whether you’re continuing the story to stop World War III and take down Makarov, taking on the many Spec Ops or survival missions, or just ranking up in multiplayer, Modern Warfare 3 proves to be the complete package for fans. From the main menu, you have three different options to choose from, so I thought I would separate my review into three sections as well:





Campaign

Modern Warfare 3 doesn’t really differ from the previous COD path, but that’s fine. You know what you’ll be getting here—the crazy action set pieces and 5 hour campaign wraps up things nicely with Soap, Captain Price, Makarov, and the many new players introduced throughout the campaign. There’s one moment where you’ll be asked whether you want to skip or play a controversial section, and there will be big moments around every corner. It’s still incredibly to fun to play, but Modern Warfare 3 doesn’t try anything new in terms of the campaign. If you have friends who want to know what Call of Duty is all about in terms of the story, you’d probably be fine loading up any of the missions. Action is well paced, and at 60fps, you’ll never have to worry about slowdown even during the most intense moments the game brings. I liked the campaign a lot, but at least for me it’s not the main attraction to Modern Warfare 3.



Spec Ops

Spec Ops is extremely fun. Taking place at certain moments of campaign missions, you play out scenarios where you have to complete specific goals in hopes of getting a 3-star rating. All of these can be played with up to two players, and there are even two missions where you must have a partner to proceed. Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer games have promised that besides new content for multiplayer, Spec Ops will receive DLC as well so there will be more missions once you get all of the initial stars.

The other side of Spec Ops is the new survival mode. Most games seem to have this type of mode nowadays, but like Halo's Firefight, Spec Ops Survival mixes in its own twist to the mode. With a separate ranking system from multiplayer, you're able to unlock new gear as you take on an endless waves of enemies, who constantly increase in variety and difficulty. Most beginning waves will consist of slow-moving enemies wielding shotguns, and eventually you could end up fighting off dogs with C4 attached to them, Juggernauts with riot-shields, and helicopter—all at the same time. Besides holding off the enemies, you'll have access to a weapon, explosive, and air-support shop, which can really help in the later waves.

Survival can only be played with two players which is a bit of a letdown, but its still fun nonetheless.




Multiplayer

The Multiplayer system we've enjoyed for years is back and better than ever. In Modern Warfare 3, there are 10 levels of prestige, and level 80 is now the cap. There are new and returning weapons to use, as well as new equipment, perks, and killstreaks. Speaking of those, the way you earn killstreaks differs a bit in this game. Racking up kills is still a good way to earn streaks, but you can now earn them with points, which changes things up quite a bit. Another new element to multiplayer is the strike packages, which feature various perks in each package. Assault, Support and Specialist all feature various killstreaks, and offer up different ways to unlock them. I usually stick with support, as you can still progress to earn your streaks even after you've been killed.

New modes help even out the multiplayer and one of my new additions is Kill Confirmed. This mode is similar to team deathmatch, only you must collect a dog-tag that your enemies drop after death. It can become a race to collect them, as a teammate of the enemy could snatch it before you, denying the kill for your team.

Multiplayer is everything you expect it to be and more, and allows for some private match madness by giving you plenty of options to choose from, including match types from Black Ops such as Gun Game.

When it does get fully operational, Call of Duty Elite will allow you to extend your multiplayer experience by offering up stats of your games, heatmaps, the ability to create clans, and compete for prizes provided you opt in on the $49 annual subscription service. That's almost the cost of Xbox Live gold, but Elite will also give you 20 pieces of dlc, and will give you content faster than waiting for the traditional map packs.



Overall, Modern Warfare 3 is the complete package. The multiplayer will be played for ages, as we wait another 2 years for Infinity Ward to return with their next Call of Duty. It's a great game, but one that won't super wow you if you're a Call of Duty veteran player.







Developer-Infinity Ward/Sledgehammer Games
Publishers- Activision
Release Date- November 8th, 2011
Price- $59.99 MSRP

This review is based on the Xbox 360 version Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3

Rayman was one of the first popular PlayStation platformers, and it's nice to see that Origins is coming pretty soon. Ubisoft has released a demo of the game, and it gives you a chance to sample some of the levels in the beautifully rendered environments.





"Download the demo of Rayman Origins and immerse yourself in this gorgeous 2D platfomer! Explore the lands of the Gibberish Jungle and Gourmand Land and discover or rediscover the magical universe and legendary 2D gameplay that captured the hearts of millions of fans."

Link To Demo- Rayman Origins (352 MB)

A difficult journey to the end


War of the Worlds was a popular Spielberg movie a few years back with Tom Cruise, but it was originally a book by H.G. Wells from 1898. The game contains many excerpts from the book, and it's narrated by the awesome Patrick Stewart. The narration in this game differs from recent XBLA release Bastion in the sense that you play the narrator as he attempts to escape London from the alien attackers.

It looks great, sounds great, and the controls are simple, but it's a pretty difficult game that feels like an old-school 2D platformer.





I was watching a video on this game and the developers were discussing their inspirations which included Flashback, one of my favorite games of all time. Flashback was a 2D survival platformer that appeared on many platforms including the SNES and recently on iOs devices. After playing War of the Worlds, I could see how Other Ocean was inspired by Flashback. Both games don't really hold your hand, so your mistakes usually equal to death, and it's up to you to get the timing and platforming down in order to advance to the next area.

If you do fail an area, the game reloads pretty quickly, so you can get back into the action and attempt to re-correct your mistakes in a timely fashion.

I think this game could be enjoyed from the perspective as the player and an observer as the narration is engaging enough and the visuals compliment the words that Patrick Stewart is reading.



Here's the main setup of the game: You'll have to traverse through various areas in London as you attempt to escape the Martians who have invaded without warning. There are areas with simple puzzles, and then you'll find places where things get more difficult. There's only one way to get by, and you've got to figure it out, or you can't continue forward. It gives you a sense of accomplishment, but the games does get pretty frustrating, so I would recommended walking away when you get stuck, and come back after a break. I've actually had to do that with many arcade games, including Limbo and Braid.



War of the Worlds has a nice presentation, great narrative, and is easy to play, but is still difficult to get through. Play in bursts, enjoy the narration by Patrick Stewart, and that's when the game shines. Hardcore 2D fans will enjoy this challenge, but everyone else should play in small quantities and come back when you've had a little break from the game.








Developer- Other Ocean
Publishers- Reverb Publishing, Paramount
Release Date- October 26th, 2011
Price- $9.99 (800 MSPoints)

This review is based on The XBLA version of The War of the Worlds, provided by the Publisher, Reverb Publishing. War of the Worlds is available on Xbox Live Arcade for $10.

Today for Xbox Live Arcade releases we've got the space shooter Fusion: Genesis, with connectivity to the Windows Phone game Fusion: Sentient. To get in on the action, the full version of Fusion: Genesis will cost 800 MSP ($10):




"Unravel a sinister conspiracy in a galaxy on the brink of civil war. Choose your side. Expose the truth. Become a hero. Follow six epic storylines as a trader, mercenary, peacekeeper, soldier, or seeker Explore an "always connected" dynamic environment Complete 100s of solo and co-op quests across 23 levels Fly over 100 ships with 1000s of upgrades Acquire 40 combat skills and 200 weapons Enjoy cooperative (1-4) and PvP (1-8) gameplay Connect with Fusion: Sentient on Windows Phone 7"

Link To Trial- Fusion: Genesis Trial (518 MB)

Link To Full Game- Fusion: Genesis (800 MSP)

It's that time of the year.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is now available and looks to continue the domination of multiplayer across the platforms, while delivering an action packed campaign that picks up where Modern Warfare 2 ended.

I'm still unsure whether I would get an Elite membership, but I can't wait to pick up my copy and play. And to think in a few days we'll have Skyrim to play. Then next week with Assassin's Creed Revelations, Saints Row The Third, and Halo Anniversary. Jeez! It's a great (and expensive) time to be a gamer.

Have fun playing no matter what you pick up!


"Modern Warfare® is back. The best-selling first person action series of all-time returns with the epic sequel to multiple "Game of the Year" award winner, "Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare 2." In the world’s darkest hour, are you willing to do what is necessary? Prepare yourself for a cinematic thrill-ride as only Call of Duty can deliver. Online, the definitive Multiplayer experience returns bigger and better than ever, loaded with new maps, modes and features. Co-Op play has evolved with all-new Spec-Ops missions and leaderboards, as well as Survival Mode, an action-packed combat progression unlike any other."

Ubisoft has announced that the latest in the Rainbow 6 series will be coming sometime in 2013 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Titled Patriots, the new game will include a dynamic single-player storyline based on modern-day terrorism and will allow players to experience the campaign from the perspective of multiple characters.

The previous Rainbow Six Vegas games were a lot of fun and offered up great single and multiplayer content, and I'm sure Patriots will no doubt do the same.

More details on Tom Clancy’s Rainbow 6 Patriots will be available on November 30th, exclusively in the Official Xbox Magazine.

The marketing for the Spike 2011 VGA's is just beginning to start, and Executive Producer and Gametrailers TV Host Geoff Keighley has announced several details about the upcoming show, including what's next for Remedy's Alan Wake.

Alan Wake will be coming to Xbox Live in the form of a Downloadable Title possibly called Night Springs. Remedy has stated that although it isn't a full sequel to the game, it is said to be full Alan Wake experience that could be episodic.

The original game was well received, but didn't sell to expectation. The original game can be bought at a decent price nowadays, so if you haven't checked it out yet, I definitely recommended it!

-Source-

Kotaku

A demo for the upcoming LEGO Harry Potter Years 5-7 has been released. The previous LEGO Potter game was pretty fun, and I'm sure this version will be a worthy follow-up. Check out more below!

"The Battle is Building! Based on the last three Harry Potter books and final four films, LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 takes players through Harry Potter's heroic adventures in the Muggle and wizarding worlds. From Privet Drive in Little Whinging to Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade and Hogwarts™, players will encounter new faces, new challenges and more magic, preparing them for the ultimate face-off with Lord Voldemort™!"


Link To Demo- LEGO Harry Potter 2 (421 MB)

The top 20 list has proven that people love shooters, as The top four games for Retail titles are all types of shooters. With Modern Warfare 3 out next week, I think it may be time to crown a new king of Xbox Live, but Black Ops has had an amazing run. It's also nice to see Dungeon Defenders being the most purchased Arcade since that game is a ton of fun. I also hope Skyrim will pop up in the top five next week too. Single player games still rock!


Xbox 360 Retail Titles


1.)----Call of Duty: Black Ops
2.)----Modern Warfare 2
3.)----Battlefield 3
4.)----Gears of War 3
5.)----FIFA 12
6.)----Halo Reach
7.)----Batman: Arkham City
8.)----Madden NFL 12
9.)----Forza 4
10.)---GTA IV
11.)---Call of Duty 4
12.)---NBA 2K 12
13.)---FIFA Soccer 11
14.)---NHL12
15.)---Halo 3
16.)---Bad Company 2
17.)---Call of Duty: WaW
18.)---NCAA Football 12
19.)---Dead Island
20.)---Red Dead Redemption



















Xbox Live Arcade Titles

1.)----Dungeon Defenders
2.)----DAYTONA USA
3.)----Pinball FX2
4.)----REAL STEEL
5.)----DEAD RISING 2: CASE WEST
6.)----DEAD RISING 2: CASE ZERO
7.)----Zombie Apocalypse: Never Die Alone
8.)----Bejeweled 3
9.)----NBA JAM: On Fire Edition
10.)---Fruit Ninja Kinect
11.)---Castle Crashers
12.)---GUARDIAN HEROES
13.)---Orcs Must Die!
14.)---Toy Soldiers: Cold War
15.)---Trials HD
16.)---The War of the Worlds
17.)---Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
18.)---Magic: The Gathering — Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012
19.)---Ultimate Mayhem
20.)---Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection

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

-Source-

Major Nelson's Blog

The wait for the game may be only beginning, but now we can check out the first trailer for the next GTA game. Watch below and enjoy!

Today for new releases to Xbox Live Arcade we have only one title called Burger Time World Tour. I'm already hungry. The game features some platforming action, multiplayer, and even some boss battle actions. Burger Time will cost 800 MSP ($10)




"An all-time arcade favorites gets a second helping as BurgerTime World Tour elevates classic gaming to the next-gen universe. Hero Peter Pepper returns and traverses the globe challenging chefs from around the world. Gamers will tackle 50 total levels and boss fights in each of the four environments. For the first time ever, the game will also feature online and split-screen multiplayer modes for four players with online leaderboard and avatar support. BurgerTime has never been more meaty!"

Link To Trial- Burger Time World Tour Trial (340 MB)

Link To Full Game- Burger Time World Tour (800 MSP)

The slightly delayed Horde Command Pack is now available to download. If you've got the season pass, just simply download the pack, otherwise it will cost 800 MSP ($10).

Check out more below:







"The COG grows stronger with new fortification levels and command posts in Horde, two new weapon skin packs, and three multiplayer characters: Bernie, Onyx Guard, and Big Rig Dizzy. Also included are 250 Achievement Points; two new maps for Horde players, Azura and Rustlung; and a remake of the most popular Horde map of all time, Blood Drive."

Link To Content- Horde Command Pack (800 MSP/ 1.42 MB)

We're just a few short weeks from the release of Saints Row: The Third, and THQ has released an character creation application that allows you to make your Saint and have him, or her, or whatever you want ready for release.

After you've made your characters, you can then upload them to Saintsrow.com and share your creations with others.

Check out more below!


"Create, share, and download the most outlandish characters you've ever seen, then upload them for play in Saints Row: The Third. Inside every Sinner is a Saint."

Link To Content- Initiation Station (872 MB)