The Buzz

This is the third installment to the first person shooter/horror series from developer Day 1 Studios scared the shit out of you(if you played the first two.) Here a brief description of the game this go around.

F.E.A.R. 3 comes with a new co-op gameplay mode – this time out, you’ll be playing as Point Man, along with his recently deceased younger brother Paxton Fettel. Though he’s dead, Fettel still packs a powerful punch as he’ll have access to a different play style. Complimenting Point Man’s gun-based gameplay, Fettel will be able to use paranormal attacks (such as a slow motion ability) along with being able to see things his corporeal brother can’t.

With the new co-op approach also comes a new cover system (a la Gears of War), allowing you to employ new strategies when tackling various challenges. You’ll be able to flank enemies, or simply overpower them with the help of a second player. Along with that, players will not only have to fend off enemies, they’ll also have to back up the other player, even going so far as reviving them should they fall during the course of a firefight.

While there’s still a single player element (which follows the same course of events as the co-op mode), you’ll only be able to play as Point Man with the AI controlling Fettel. However, you’ll be encouraged to play the co-op game as you’ll be able to see and do things you’d not have access to without the help of Fettel.

A new AI generative system has been introduced to the game, allowing enemies to appear on the fly from any point in an environment. This does away with any obvious patterns when dealing with spawn points, resulting with some hectic action as you won’t know where the next attacks will be coming from.

In my opinion, the co-op seems abit overpowering but if the AI toughened up then I say its fair game. In the last two installments the AI was pretty tough and made some missions impossible to beat. There were rumors that you could play as the demented mother who is powerful the two main characters hmmm I’m going look into that.

Check it out there a new big family member raising hell

What if you had superhuman powers, but did not know if you should use them for good or evil? Cryptic Studios is giving you a chance to find out if you will walk the line of good, the line of evil, or draw your own path in between.

Title: City of Heroes: Going Rogue

Official Trailer: Going Rogue Trailer

Developer: Cryptic Studios

Publisher: NC Soft

US Release: August 17, 2010

Platforms: PC, Mac

ESRB: Teen

A Whole New World

It’s time to dawn your tights, mask, and cape once again. This second expansion to the #1 superhero-themed MMO will soon introduce you to the world of Praetoria. Like with the City of Villains expansion, this expansion will introduce players to a new, parallel world that is linked to Paragon City (City of Heroes) and the Rogue Islands (City of Villains). Praetoria features a host of new zones, enemies and allies that will test your survival skills and moral beliefs. There are even PVP zones available for players to fight for territory against players on the Heroes and Villains sides.

Moral Alignment

When players wanted to be able to live the life of a villain, City of Villains was created. Players who want to have the ability to switch between hero and villain have gotten their wish in this expansion. Two new character alignments will be available for players. Based on decisions made during the game, Praetorians will become Rogues or Vigilantes. Rogues can eventually become Villains and Vigilantes can eventually become Heroes….or not. The player have the power to make moral decisions that will place them as a good guy, a bad guy, or a superhuman fighting for his or herself. This is the most interesting aspect of this game.

New Power Sets

Four new power sets have been added to the fray. Players can now wield dual pistols, summon demons, use kinetic melee, or control electricity. Players, both seasoned and new, will put many hours into mastering these new power sets. The Dual Pistol power set has some awesome animations and pack lots of power. The demon summoning power set allows players to summon demons that have various elemental attributes and look scary as hell. Demon summoners use whips as weapons! Kinetic melee is great for players who like to tank and sap endurance and HP at the same time. Electricity control will have various AOE effects and has a high potential to deal damage.

New Costume Sets

The developers have again placed lots of attention on character customization. They have fine tuned many of the current costume sets and have even included a few more costumes for players to wear. I still feel that most other MMOs give better the facial customizations. The fact that you can change the colors of your weapons and powers makes up for the facial issues. Imagine having the ability to shoot red electricity from your hands or purple beams out of your hands or eyes.

Battle System

The battle system is the same as the previous versions of the game. Players choose what powers they want to have and use them once the ability has cooled down and there is enough endurance to do so. Airborne players can still attack from the from the safety of the sky and have the opportunity to change the colors of their powers. Enemy NPCs wills till attack you if you are within their range of sight, but they are still a bit stupid though.

Graphics and Sound

I am guessing that the graphics and sound of this expansions will be pretty much the same as the other two versions. The graphics are a bit choppy at times when compared to games like WoW. The new power sets will have their own special effects and sounds. The new monsters and characters will have their own as well.

Replay Value

Like any other MMO, the City of Heroes series has unlimited replay value. There are 12 different servers to choose from, each offering you the ability to create over 10 different caped criminals, heroes, or Praetorians. That is at least 360 characters, all with different powers, looks, and gameplay styles. Along with that, there are thousands of possible missions that can be completed. The inclusion of the Mission Architect system gives layers the opportunity to create their own missions from scratch and share with the community.

Final Thought

City of Heroes has been out for over 6 years and it still has a great following. The developers listen to players and make frequent updates to make the gaming experience much better. Free updates are made every few months to indtroduce new abilities and fix issues with the games. If you like super powers and don’t mind shelling out $15 a month, this is the game for you. For more information on City of Heroes: Going Rogue, please visit the official website athttp://goingrogue.na.cityofheroes.com/en/

BioWare has confirmed that Dragon Age 2 is in the works for an early 2011 release. This is a sequel to last year’s hit fantasy action role-playing game Dragon Age: Origins.Unlike the first game where you have multiple races and class. You will have just only one.

“Dragon Age 2 thrusts players into the role of Hawke, a penniless refugee who rises to power to become the single most important character in the world of Dragon Age. Known to be a survivor of the Blight and the Champion of Kirkwall, the legend around Hawke’s rise to power is shrouded in myth and rumor. Featuring an all-new story spanning 10 years, players will help tell that tale by making tough moral choices, gathering the deadliest of allies, amassing fame and fortune, and sealing their place in history. The way you play will write the story of how the world is changed forever.”

Tokyo Game Show or TGS is the equivalent of our E3 but with cosplayers and game that wont reach our shores unless we order the games and a moded system or beg the developer to make US releases.  the partial list has been released of some of the 138 companies that will in attendance at this years TGS.

FAMILY CORNER

Alchemist

Capcom

Konami

Square Enix

Sega

Namco Bandai Games

Microsoft

Level-5

GENERAL EXHIBIT AREA

Arc System Works

Irem Software Engineer

ASCII Media Works

Allienace Numerique (Canada)

Alchemist

Ignition Entertainment Ltd.

InComm (US)

XYZ Wave PTE (Singapore)

Enterbrain

Capcom

Tecmmo Koei Games

Konami

The Behemoth (US)

SIGGRAPH ASIA 2010 (Korea)

Square Enix

Sega

Sony Computer Entertainment

GOODS CORNOR

Capcom

Game Tek

Tecmo Koei Games

Konami

Square Enix

Square Enix Music

D3 Publisher

Namco Bandai Games

5pb

Now when is all of this going down you ask?? Well the festivities start September 16 for the press and business folks and open to the public September 18 and ending September 19.

Time to raise them chocobos and form them clans here’s a look at Final Fantasy XIV

THQ have announced three WWE games. The annunal installment in the Smackdown vs Raw series, Smackdown vs Raw 2011. It is was declared that the will have one of the largest rosters in franchise history with more than 70  WWE Superstars and Divas. It will also feature an improved physics system. It is slated to be release for Xbox360,PS3, PS2, PSP and Wii on October 26.

The second game is WWE SmackDown vs. Raw Online. The game is free to play and will be available only for the PC. While an American release date has not been announced, the game will release in Korea in 2011

WWE All-Star an all new game. It will feature an arcade fighting style gameplay. The demo displayed  John Cena vs. The Rock .Graphically it looks to be using the same engine as Smackdown vs Raw but in an over the top realistic cartoon look. If you thought they were on something before, you definitly know they are.  They are detailed and look great.

The gameplay is different and simplistic with buttons mapped for punch, kick and grabs which can be used to perform combos. There doesn’t seem to be a complex system of grappling and reversals  focusing on making it purely on arcade-style game.