What do you get when you take Diablo 2, make the plot even more undecipherable and convoluted, and make random loot even more important?  You get Sacred 2, a great game to play if you don’t care about anything other than mindlessly killing monsters because they happen to be in a circle on your map.

Really, it’s not a horrible game unless you actually want to have a reason to do the things that you’re doing.  As I said, think Diablo, only without the fun factor that somehow manages to come out in Blizzard games (frankly, I think they sold their soul to the devil, but who knows?).  The game is viewed mostly top down and you move your little dude around and press buttons that coincide with different abilities.  The graphics are pretty good, to be honest, but the viewpoint sort of detracts from some of that.  You can zoom in, and the camera almost kind of goes behind the character like a traditional third person game, but it never really gets there, so it’s more like a tease than anything else.

The story, what there is, is insanely hard to follow, especially with the bazillion side quests that pop up as you go.  The quest log is pretty much useless, and really all you have to do is bring up the map and go to where the circles are (which indicate quest objectives).  You don’t need to know why, or what you’re supposed to do there, just go.  When you get there, you’ll either start killing things and getting quest credit for it, or you’ll see a dude with a exclamation point over his head.  Even if you try to follow what you’re doing and why, the simple fact is there is just too much going on at any given time to keep track of it all.

That being said, the character system is fairly deep, and there is a ton of loot to get, so if you can just lobotomize yourself and mindlessly kill dudes for hours on end just to try and number crunch your way to success, this game could be right up your alley.  There is definitely a feeling of accomplishment when some imp drops a badass piece of armor for your character, and it really makes you understand how gambling gets addictive.  Considering that stuff drops for all the classes regardless of what you or your buddies are playing as, getting something awesome for yourself is a fairly rare occurrence.

The problem that I have with this random loot system is that even your powers are part of the loot table, so you might be level twenty, you could still not have some powers, or you might have one power that’s level ten, and another one that you might want to use more often that is only level one.  You can trade in tokens for powers at a rune master guy and get the powers that you want, but it can be expensive and it still relies on getting runes in the first place.

Another draw of the game is that the world is just massive.  While playing through the main questline would probably take a good thirty hours or so, exploring the rest of the world would probably take days of game time, and that’s not including doing the insane amount of side quests.  On top of all that, there are two multiplayer modes that are completely separate from the main story mode (which can also be played co-op, so that’s kind of a third multiplayer mode I guess). 

One is free-mode, where you just seem to run around and explore, killing shit as you go.  I don’t really see what the point of this is, but maybe I missed something.  I can see it being something to do when you’ve already beaten the game, sort of like a multiplayer sandbox game of GTA4, where there are no set goals, but people still have fun doing it.

The other mode is a PVP mode, which I must be honest and say that I didn’t really participate in that.  I’m not one for PVP, but looking at the some of the loot that dropped, I imagine that getting into PVP would be a whole separate ordeal, as there are stats on some gear that only affect other players.

So, yeah, it’s a huge game, but for me, it was a huge, long game of mind-numbing grind hell.  What little plot there was is totally lost in the depth of the other game systems, so basically the game just felt like I was killing guys for no reason other than to get better stuff.  Then, I would use that stuff to kill harder guys so that I could get better stuff.  The only reason I was doing this was to get to a mystical little circle or dot on my map.  Frankly, I hated it, but that’s just me.  Being an objective and bi-partisan reviewer type idiot, I have to take into consideration that the people I played with online were absolutely thrilled with the game, so it’s really just a matter of what you like to do.

I can tell you that I spent a half hour just talking to someone about what stats they were looking to get on their Seraphim, so obviously there is just something there that that guy enjoys.  So… long story short, if your fondest memories of games like Diablo or WoW are getting awesome loot after hours of killing guys for no reason, than Sacred 2 will fill that niche for you nicely.  If, however, you are waiting for the next great story-driven RPG, than Sacred 2 will leave much to be desired.

This is all pretty adorable and awesome now, but boy oh boy is this going to go downhill fast and he gets older.

First Range told you about Call of Duty: World at War. Then he told you about Gears of War 2. Now I’m here to tell you that Bungie is also giving Halo 3 players a double XP weekend. However, this “weekend” begins today and goes until 2am Monday. It also requires the Heroic, Legendary, and Mythic map packs. Enjoy.

Bungie

So after just posting the announcement of a Call of Duty: World at War double XP this weekend to celebrate the 4th of July, I found out that Epic Games is doing the same thing with their own title giving Gears of War 2 it’s own double XP weekend from July 3 to July 6, as well. During ranked matches on the public playlist, everyone will receive double the XP, and the winning team will also walk away with an additional 500 XP.

In addition to the double XP promotion, the latest update for Gears of War 2 will be released sometime before the weekend allowing for some changes to the Horde mode (most notably the addition of experience points). Speaking of the Horde mode, Epic will be celebrating Independence Day with it’s own fireworks by adding Tickers to every wave in Horde, and on the 10th wave of every Horde match, there will only be Tickers.

So, which double XP promotion will you be enjoying this weekend? Call of Duty: World at War or Gears of War 2?

Source: Joystiq

In celebration of Independence Day in the US, Microsoft has announced that Call of Duty: World at War wil be running a double XP weekend from July 3 to July 6. The double XP weekend will be available to all Xbox Live gold members worldwide.

Along with the double XP promotion, a playlist update is scheduled to go live on July 3, integrating the Map Pack 2 maps into the Core and Hardcore rotations. Time to prestige!

Source: Xbox.com

2K Sport’s 10th Anniversary edition of NBA 2K10 is huge, and I’m not exaggerating by any means, as it may well be the biggest bundle for a limited-edition game ever.

Unveiled today, the $99.99 10th Anniversary package comes with the game (duh), an exclusive Kobe Bryant figurine by McFarlane Toys, a Kobe Bryant poster, a video about the NBA 2K series, and an account to a special VIP online lobby for the game called the “Gold Room”.

Oh, don’t let me forget to mention that the package also comes with a storage locker that stores 20 games. Nope, you didn’t read that wrong. The game actually comes with storage locker fit to hold 20 games. Now do you believe me when I say this anniversary package is huge?

Source: Joystiq via Team Xbox

Looking to buy a PS3 anytime soon? Wanting to get the best deal? Well, Best Buy has got a pretty nice PS3 bundle their offering right now. The bundle includes the 80GB model of the PS3 hardware for $399.99, along with a copy of LittleBigPlanet and a Blu-ray copy of Wall-E for FREE! Quite an impressive package, so if you’re interested in getting a PS3, I’d put some thought into this deal.

Source: Ars Technica

Following the death of “The King of Pop” last thursday, sales for Sega’s Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker video game have rised on Ebay.

Released for the Sega Genesis in 1990, Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker reached prices as high as $205. The game featured music from the best-selling Thriller album and BAD album, including hits like Smooth Criminal, Beat It, Billie Jean and BAD.

It’s funny cause I actually remember playing this game as a child at my cousin’s house and it was actually pretty fun, back then nevertheless. Rest in Peace Michael Jackson, we lost one of the greatest entertainers of all time, if not ever.

Punch Jump

This week’s bundle of Nintendo downloads feature one sudoku game for the DSiWare, one Sega classic for the Virtual Console and three WiiWare titles which is highlighted by Water Warfare, a colorful first-person water gun shooter, just in time for the summer. Hit the jump for the full list of Nintendo downloads and more details on each title.

WiiWare

Water Warfare™
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1-8
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) - Cartoon Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points™
Description: Water Warfare is a comical first-person shooter that uses water guns to battle and soak opponents. A map with a particular theme - Playground, Beach, Plaza or Nature Park - is generated automatically when the game begins, so you can think up new strategies each time you engage. Game modes include Single Player Missions, CPU Match and 2-Player Split Screen. On top of that, players with broadband Internet access can use Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection to battle with up to eight players from around the world, or participate in Ranking Mode.

Reel Fishing® Challenge
Publisher: Natsume, Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Reel Fishing Challenge offers a fun and challenging experience for novice fishers and master anglers alike. Put your skills to the test and discover new types of fish in the challenging mission mode, or relax and enjoy the game at your own pace in free play mode. No matter which mode you play, the game’s beautiful graphics and natural setting bring the fishing experience to life. Choose from a variety of lures to attract and hook the game’s numerous fish. Each fish looks and moves like the real thing - it’s the closest you can get to real-life fishing without putting on your waders.

Silver Star Reversi
Publisher: Agetec, Inc.
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Silver Star Reversi has two modes: 1-Player mode allows you to play a match against the computer opponent, and 2-Player mode allows you to play against another person. In 1-Player mode, you can choose from five different computer opponents, turn the background music on or off, adjust sound effects and access in-game help features. During each match, you can also redo your last move, save the game at any point, or resign from the game. After a match has ended, you can review each move and resume the match from any point you choose.

Virtual Console™

Fantasy Zone™ II: The Tears of Opa-Opa
Original platform: SEGA MASTER SYSTEM
Publisher: SEGA
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Ten years have elapsed since Opa-Opa restored peace to the Fantasy Zone. Now history is repeating itself, and the planets that make up the Fantasy Zone once again find themselves attacked by the mastermind of the Nenon planet forces. This mastermind is secretly constructing a huge fortress in the Fantasy Zone and aims to put an end to their ambitious plans. Just as he did 10 years ago, Opa-Opa must do battle to save the Fantasy Zone.

Nintendo DSiWare™

SUDOKU MASTER
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: SUDOKU MASTER offers 150 unique puzzles that beginners and experts alike will enjoy. A handful of tutorials will help you learn the rules and controls as you go, and handy features like Write Mode and Temp Numbers make Sudoku pleasantly user-friendly. Feeling confident? Then try your hand at Title Mode to work your way up from Rookie to Sudoku Master. All puzzles were created by Sudoku veteran NIKOLI Co., Ltd., and tips from Sudoku godfather Maki Kaji are offered between games.

With another week comes another batch of new game releases for a summer that has been quite impressive thus far. This week we’ve got a western shooter, plenty of magic, dinosaurs and a Mega Man sighting. Hit the jump for the full list of new releases this week and my pick of the week.

Pick of the Week: Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood (360, PS3, PC)

Xbox 360:

• BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger
• Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
• Infernal: Hell’s Vengeance

PS3:

• BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger
• Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

Wii:

• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
• Roogoo Twisted Towers

PC:

• Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood
• FUEL
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
• Trine (Digital Distribution)

PS2:

• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

DS:

• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
• Mega Man Star Force 3 Black Ace
• Mega Man Star Force 3 Red Joker
• Roogoo Attack!
• Treasure World

PSP:

• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Steambot Chronicles: Battle Tournament

I’ve never had the pleasure of playing the Tropico games, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve become a bigger fan of sim games, so Tropico 3 caught my eye a while ago. The closed beta is either starting soon or has already started, so you can go sign up for a chance to get your Tropico on.

The Punisher: No Mercy will be available on the PlayStation Store on July 2nd for $10. I really hope there’s a demo. I’m interested because of my love for The Punisher, but I also have a love/hate relationship with first-person shooters. When done right, it’s one of my favorite genres, but more often than not it’s done wrong.

Rhianna Pratchett, the writer behind Overlord and its sequels, has expressed how much help the video game industry in the writing department.

“Writers and narrative designers are still relatively new positions on development teams. This means there’s still a level of uncertainty about how best to use and integrate them. I know from talking to lots of fine people in my field that the writing process can often be done too late, without proper access to the team and under extreme pressure. Thankfully, things are starting to get a little better and more writers are being contacted in the first few months of a project’s lifespan, rather than the last few months … A little more variation in concept and content would be nice, as well, which is something writers and narrative designers can help with.”

I couldn’t agree more. As a big fan of books, I’m frequently turned off from games for either a lame plot or poor dialogue. In fact, if I were to count how many games I’ve played that have been good in every department but writing, I would have to make up a new number. I’m going with “dillion.” A dillion games.

Go Nintendo

The 1 Vs. 100 beta has been going on for some time now but it’s only been available to Xbox Live Gold subscribers, and if you’re a cheapskate like me, that’s a problem. From today until Sunday, however, Silver members can join in on the scheduled games. According to the main 1 Vs. 100 website, the games start tomorrow at 3:00 PM (PST, I believe).

Game Stooge

My favorite part of this is that they kept all of their postal reciepts. You need to be diligent with your finances, even if you’re a filthy criminal!

I mentioned yesterday that a screenwriter has been hired for Hitman 2 and now we learn that a new game is coming as well and it will be directly related to the movie’s storyline.

Hitman 5 will be released late next year and certain parts of the story will tie in with certain parts of the movie. There are no details as of yet, but I don’t like the idea of combining a movie that’s probably going to be awful with a game that could very well be awesome. It seems like a recipe for tears.

Go Nintendo

Check out this new trailer for Game Arts’ Super Smash Bros.-style fighter Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash Up featuring Raphael and Casey Jones taking on a Foot Ninja and an Utrominater, whatever the hell that is.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash Up is scheduled for a fall release on the Wii, as part of the TMNT’s 25th anniversary, along with a remake of the side-scrolling arcade title TMNT: Turtles in Time, which will hit Xbox Live on July 22 and later this summer on the Playstation Network.

Man what’s with all these Jimmy Fallon-related stories that we’ve been posting lately? I don’t even like the guy that much! I don’t know how I feel about Tiger Woods, though.

Red Steel for the Nintendo Wii wasn’t terrible. I don’t think it was good, necessarily, but for being the first of its kind, it was fun. Red Steel 2 will make use of the Wii MotionPlus and the devs want to make sure that shit is off the hook.

“Being Wii Motionplus exclusive, we really needed the information in the Wii MotionPlus, it’s an amazing device. With the gyroscope we always know which way the Wii remote is pointing. We’re trying to make a game that is the best reason to have a Wii MotionPlus, and really pays off with that experience.”

I hope these guys stay true to their word and I get to shoot/tear it up in a Japanese bathhouse with precision accuracy.

Nintendo D-Pad

Lego bricks are awesome. Just look at this damn thing. Mad props to dm_meister for constructing such an awesome tribute to an awesome character. Mad, rage-filled props.

Oh, Vin Diesel. Even though I find it somewhat amusing that you feel the need to star in all of the games that you make, I actually don’t mind it when that game turns out to be pretty decent. The real question here is whether or not people are willing to pay full price for what is essentially a last-gen game with a facelift and an expansion pack. Do you really think your game is that good?

To be completely honest, I never played through the entirety of Riddick’s first Xbox adventure, Escape from Butcher Bay. I checked it out simply because of how awesome I heard the graphics were, and I was thoroughly impressed. I wasn’t impressed enough to keep the game long enough to beat it — I just wasn’t willing to fork over more of my cash to Blockbuster to re-rent it.

Fortunately, Assault on Dark Athena contains that entire chapter, so newcomers to the franchise won’t feel like they missed out on anything. They did, however, miss out on what made Escape from Butcher Bay stand out originally: the graphics.

Even though Assault on Dark Athena has upped the resolution and the textures for the re-release, it just looks like every other next-gen game these days. While that’s in no way an insult to what Starbreeze has done with the title, it simply doesn’t have the graphical edge that it had when you compared the original to its peers last generation, thus it is not the standout that it once was.

Okay, so the graphics are fine, and that’s all anyone seems to care about these days, right? If you are actually interested in playing games, though, the package deal is actually pretty nice. Not only do you get the original Riddick game, but Assault on Dark Athena also adds a new campaign, cleverly titled “Assault on Dark Athena”. While it didn’t seem quite as long or as fun as the original campaign, it was a welcomed addition to the single-player experience.

Another reason to pick up this disc is the multiplayer component. While nowhere near as good as Team Fortress 2, Killzone 2, Halo 3, or even Gears of War 2, the multiplayer experience is good enough to be considered “fun” and just goes to add more value to the overall package. It’s relatively standard fare, with the exception that there is the whole stealth element involved.

I thought about giving a synopsis of the Escape from Butcher Bay campaign, but to be completely honest, nothing has really changed about it in these past five years other than the graphics. If you really feel you missed out the first time, you could just read the 500 or so reviews for it elsewhere on the internets. I will, however, sum it up for you by saying that it was a great game for its time and arguably the best-looking game to ever release on the Xbox.

Assault on Dark Athena picks up where Butcher Bay left off. Riddick’s in cryostasis aboard a ship leaving the prison planet he escaped from, which subsequently gets attacked by mercenary slavers (of sorts). Riddick gets transported aboard the Dark Athena, and of course he starts killing people.

A majority of your time will be spent in hand-to-hand combat, a lot of which you can shorten by sneaking up on dudes and stealth-killing them. You also have limited use of the guns that enemies drop. I say “limited” because it is almost always easier to melee guys to death, though you will find yourself in situations where a gun comes in handy. Generally, however, (at least in my experience) trying to run and gun got me into more trouble than it was worth.

Sneaking up on guys, or around them, is generally your best option. It’s kind of odd that Riddick’s “see in the dark” abilities actually reminded me of The Darkness, also developed by Starbreeze, which I remember thinking reminded me of Escape from Butcher Bay. It’s funny how time affects things like that, huh?

The point is that Riddick does not play like a typical shooter. It’s not necessarily slower, but it does have a completely different feel. It’s almost like a mix between Splinter Cell and Condemned. While a lot of FPS fans will be turned off by that idea, I really feel that it’s worth checking out if you have any interest at all in action games.

Considering that Butcher Bay hasn’t been made compatible with the 360 yet, the only way to replay that classic on new hardware is to get Assault on Dark Athena. Even though the Dark Athena campaign isn’t as good as the original, and the graphics are not as mind-blowing for the time as they once were, the overall package with the added multiplayer makes this the best bundle since The Orange Box. In these tough economic times, Assault on Dark Athena is one of the best values you can get in a newly released game. There’s nothing necessarily new or overly exciting, but there’s a lot of fun to be had. And there’s Vin Diesel.

I jump with joy any time that video games are brought up in a good light, and this is no exception. Deval Patrick, the Governor of Massachusetts, lobbied game publishers to relocate to his state in an effort to help his state’s economy. Now he’s brought the subject up again, this time bragging about it.

“This is not your father’s [Route] 128. You know that [There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.] ‘Guitar Hero’? That was invented here. It was built here.”

Harmonix is indeed based in Cambridge. And the Route 128 area is a massive technology hub in the state, with companies like Polaroid, Sun Microsystems, and Raytheon having branches there.

Game Politics

Battlefield Heroes, EA’s new browser-based cartoony MMOFPS, has made the transition from closed beta to open beta.

Not only is the game in open beta now, but the NDA has also been lifted. Battlefield Heroes is going to be free to play when it makes its official launch, so the idea of an open beta makes me laugh. This seems like just the normal game, but a little early and slightly buggy.

Game Stooge

A while back there was a rumor making its way around the internet saying that Megan Fox may play Lara Croft in the next Tomb Raider movie, as it was an origin story that called for a younger actress. This rumor finally made its way to Angelina Jolie and she is none too pleased.

It seems Jolie thinks that Fox steals a lot of things from her, like her style and her tattoos. I don’t think that she has any valid reason to be upset, as she couldn’t play Lara Croft in an origin story anyway. Why does she even give a crap?

Go Nintendo

The Proudmoore server held its 5th annual Gay Pride March a few days ago. This probably makes me sound really dorky, but seeing Horde and Alliance march together like that is a pretty powerful site, even if it’s just a video game. That’s right, I’m a nerd. Deal with it.

Keeping in line with other game-to-film adaptations, Hitman was pretty bad. It was a clumsy mess and Timothy Olyphant looked really goofy with a shaved head. Nevertheless, it made a killing, so a writer has been hired to pen the sequel.

Kyle Ward, the screenwriter who seems to be writing the upcoming film adaptation of Kane & Lynch, will also be writing the Hitman sequel. If any of you know any actual hitmen, you may be able to save us from the Hitman sequel and Kane & Lynch with one simple phone call.

Go Nintendo

These got progressively unfunnier. When I heard that Jimmy Fallon was going to talk about video games a lot on his show, I was unsure of what to expect. It looks like I was right to be cautious, as all the video game-related humor I’ve seen on the show so far has been pretty cringeworthy.

It’s surprising how many games there are that actually use microphones on the Xbox 360: Guitar Hero Metallica, Rock Band 2, Disney Sing It: High School Musical 3: Senior Year, Lips and The Beatles: Rock Band. This fall, Microsoft is poised to release a new wireless microphone that’s compatible with all of those games, and presumably more.

Although I have no use for a microphone myself, I’m sure someone loves the look of it and wants to rock out cordless. If you’re willing to spend $49.99 on the microphone, you should look forward to it hitting store shelves this fall.

Epic has released the details for the upcoming Gears of War 2 Update 4, which will prepare the campaign and multiplayer modes for the Dark Corners downloadable content, add XP gain to Horde mode and allow for a bunch of other bug fixes and improvements.

The release date for Update 4 is still unknown, but will no doubt be released before Dark Corners comes out on July 28. The Dark Corners downloadable content will come available by itself for 1200 Microsoft Points, or in a 1600 Point All Fronts pack with all previous DLC’s included. Hit the jump to check out all the details for Update 4.

Improvements

Title Update 4 makes these new improvements:

• Adds the ability to collect multiplayer experience by playing Horde mode. Players currently gain experience at this rate:
  • 50 points per completed Casual wave.
  • 75 points per completed Normal wave.
  • 100 points per completed Hardcore wave.
  • 125 points per completed Insane wave.
• Adds the ability to restart Public Horde from the current failed wave instead of having to start over from wave 1. Title Update 4 also allows the host to kick players from a Public Horde session.
• Increases the frequency of downloadable content (DLC) maps showing up in map voting if all players have shared map packs.
• Adds a message at the end of the match to explain to players that they should wait before quitting so that they avoid an experience penalty for quitting early.
• Adds support for the new campaign chapter, “Road to Ruin.”
• Adds 13 new achievements worth 325 points. All of the new achievements require the Dark Corners Map Pack, a set of seven new maps and a deleted campaign chapter to be released July 28. The 13 new achievements are:
  • “My Way or the Highway” (25 points): Without being detected, complete the “Road to Ruin” deleted scene after choosing the stealth option.
  • “Highway to Hell” (25 points): Complete the “Road to Ruin” deleted scene after choosing the guns-blazing option.
  • “Two for the Road” (25 points): Complete the “Road to Ruin” deleted scene in co-op as either Marcus or Dom.
  • “Be Careful What You Wish For” (10 points): Reach level 5 in multiplayer and complete waves 1 through 10 on the War Machine map in Horde (any difficulty).
  • “Ride It All Night Long” (10 points): Reach level 10 in multiplayer and complete waves 1 through 10 on the Highway map in Horde (any difficulty).
  • “No, But His Face Rings a Bell” (15 points): Reach level 15 in multiplayer and complete waves 1 through 20 on the Sanctuary map in Horde (any difficulty).
  • “Lost in Transition” (20 points): Reach level 20 in multiplayer and complete waves 1 through 20 on the Way Station map in Horde (any difficulty).
  • “Like Father, Like Gun” (30 points): Reach level 30 in multiplayer and complete waves 1 through 30 on the Allfathers Garden map in Horde (any difficulty).
  • “Am I Only Dreaming?” (40 points): Reach level 40 in multiplayer and complete waves 1 through 40 on the Memorial map in Horde (any difficulty).
  • “Blood on the Sand” (50 points): Reach level 50 in multiplayer and complete waves 1 through 50 on the Nowhere map in Horde (any difficulty).
  • “Afraid of the Dark” (20 points): Play a multiplayer match on each of the seven Dark Corners Map Pack maps (any mode).
  • “Did Not Go Gentle” (30 points): Win a multiplayer match on each of the seven Dark Corners Map Pack maps (any mode)
  • “Is it Hot or Is That Just You?” (25 points): Kill 25 Bloodmounts with a Scorcher Flamethrower while playing Horde on a Dark Corners Map Pack map (any difficulty).

Exploit Fixes

Title Update 4 fixes these possible exploits, where under certain circumstances:

• A player could copy game progression data from one profile to another.
• A team could use the 50-point revive bonus to artificially increase its score in Horde. Going down but not out (DBNO) in Horde now subtracts 50 points, so there is no advantage to using the revive-bonus technique.
• A player could get 2 points for each kill in Wingman.
• A player could continue to shoot the Flamethrower while performing special movements like evading and mantling.
• A player could cause heavy weapons to spawn continuously while playing Horde.

Title Update 4 also fixes a number of lesser-known exploits.

General Fixes

Title Update 4 fixes these other issues as well:

• An issue that could cause players to lose all achievement progression if they signed in during a loading screen.
• Issues related to the Smoke Grenade causing a player to cringe instead of knocking them down. If hit by a Smoke Grenade with cringing turned on, players will now:
  • Drop the Boomshield, even if aiming while carrying it.
  • Drop a heavy weapon, even if it is deployed.
  • Cringe while roadie running.
  • Cringe while in cover.
• An issue that prevented players from shooting around the lower left side of a planted shield.
• An issue that could cause a DBNO player to not appear as DBNO.
• An issue that prevented Gears players from inviting players of other games to join them in progress in a Private match using DLC.
• Issues that caused rich presence information to become inaccurate.
• An issue that caused the overall achievements progress bar to not reflect the latest achievements.
• An assortment of localization bug fixes.
• Additional miscellaneous bug fixes.

Balancing

Title Update 4 makes these balancing changes:

• Adds a 30-second delay in map-based weapon spawning at the beginning of a Wingman match.
• Adds more future server-side balancing options.

Source: Shacknews

Unlock the what in the what now? Folks who pre-order the sequel to Assassin’s Creed will get the chance to explore the Palazzo Medici, a famous palace in Italy. I think that’s lame.

This trend of sectioning off a part of the game for customers who pre-order is not something I’m liking. I’m also talking about when people get special weapons, like the kind that came with the gold edition of Battlefield: Bad Company that actually gave players who spent $10 more an advantage in multiplayer. Why can’t we just stick to fancy cases and physical collectable items?

Source: Exophase