Ripten Video Game Blog » fallout-3

Bethesda announce Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition

Sam Naylor — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:58:25 +0000

Similar to their earlier Game of the Year edition of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Bethesda have announced that a version of Fallout 3 that includes all of the DLC released so far in the price of admission. Undoubtedly this will be the definitive version, just as it was with the Oblivion GotY version.

The game will release on October 13 and will cost $60 for the console versions and $50 for the PC version. Bethesda have also announced that the DLC for PS3 is coming very soon. Broken Steel is coming on the 24th of September, followed by Operation: Anchorage and The Pitt on 1st October, and then Point Lookout and Mothership Zeta on the 8th. Good news all round, then.

Fallout 3 PS3 DLC Coming in September

Dylan Duarte — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 06:50:17 +0000

The Fallout 3 DLC for PlayStation 3 is coming in late September and Bethesda is mixing up the order a bit.

The first bit of DLC to hit PSN will be Broken Steel, due to it being the most popular content. The great thing about Broken Steel hitting first is that it raises the level cap from 20 to 30, allowing players to beef up quite a bit before tackling the other content.

They also want to get Operation: Anchorage and The Pitt out as soon as possible, so they’ll probably be released simultaneously shortly after Broken Steel.

Edge

Bill Clinton Turned Down Fallout 3 Role

Dylan Duarte — Sat, 23 May 2009 10:03:51 +0000

I have nothing against Malcolm McDowell. I think he’s a good actor and did a great job as President John Henry Eden. That said, I would have much preferred former President of the United States Bill Clinton in the role – after all, he was asked.

Lev Chapelsky is the general manager of Blindlight, a company that acquires Hollywood big shots to do voice work in video games. In a recent interview with Edge Online, he revealed that President Clinton was asked to do the voice of the President in Fallout 3.

Needless to say, that didn’t happen. I don’t even know how that would’ve been received in the gaming community. It’s pretty awesome, of course, but also totally bizarre.

EDGE

Fallout: New Vegas announced

Sam Naylor — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:05:14 +0000

Bethesda Softworks announced today that Obsidian Entertainment will be developing a brand new Fallout game in the style of Fallout 3, although it is not a direct sequel. The game is expected to ship in 2010 for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. Obsidian Entertainment are the development team behind Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II and Neverwinter Nights, and was formed from several members of the team that developed the first two Fallout titles, Black Isle Studios.

“It is not a sequel to Fallout 3. It is simply another game in that universe,” Bethesda’s Pete Hines said, adding: “It’s definitely an RPG. Same sort of experience as what folks got in Fallout 3. It’s not Fallout Tactics, it’s not Brotherhood of Steel. It’s another Fallout game.” Perhaps the die-hard fans of the originals will be more partial to this one. With he success of Fallout 3, I won’t be surprised if this sells well in the mainstream market as well.

Fallout 3 mod proves that the apocalypse wasn’t as bad as we thought

Sam Naylor — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:23:40 +0000

Tired of the constant grey wastes in Fallout 3? Convinced that nuclear fallout wouldn’t be all bad? Maybe this mod is for you. It turns all the shrubbery in the game green, essentially removing the harshness of the climate and making the wasteland into a lush, liveable landscape. Really takes the edge off of surviving in a post-apocalyptic nightmare. Remember, you’ll only be able to use this mod on the PC version of the game.

GDC09: Fallout 4 May Take Place in Japan

Sal Romano — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:50:44 +0000

Over in San Francisco at the Game Developers Conference, a little sit down was held with a few respectable game developers.

Of the group, Emil Pagliarulo revealed that Bethesda Softworks is currently working on some more Fallout 3 downloadable content as well as the next Fallout.

Emil asked himself: “What famous landmarks can we destroy? What landmarks in Japan can we destroy?” Then after the crowd laughed, he said “I just realized how stupid it was of me to say that.” Could Fallout 4 bring a post-apocalyptic Japan to our homes?

Source via Scrawl

Fallout 3: The Pitt Debut Trailer

Dylan Duarte — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 04:37:16 +0000

This second DLC episode of Fallout 3 will take players into what used to be Pittsburgh. It’s scheduled to hit Xbox 360 and PC on March 24th, 10 days from now.

Cinema Blend

Fallout 3 DLC released

Sam Naylor — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:38:35 +0000

We’re big fans of Fallout 3 here at Ripten. Here’s some good news for those of you who agree with us- the “Operation Anchorage” Downloadable Content has been released. The DLC allows the player to join in with the liberation of Alaska, and focuses more on stealth gameplay with a new set of weapons and armour. The DLC costs 800 MS points ($10) for PC and Xbox 360, but isn’t available for PS3 owners.

Great for those of you who have finished the game and need more to do, but for people like me who have yet to get very far in the game (especially since my saves were wiped), not really worth bothering with. Unless of course you’re a big fan of snow. Plus, I’m still of the opinion that Oblivion is a superior game. Call me a Medieval fanboy, but the game just feels more inviting and comprehensive.

Study: Violence doesn’t affect enjoyment of a game

Sam Naylor — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 22:18:46 +0000

Researchers at the University of Rochester have surveyed 2,670 frequent game players, as well and over 300 undergraduates, and found that violent content has no real effect on the appeal of a game. Using Half-Life 2 and a dev kit, the researchers made two scenarios for the participants: a “violent” one where the player had to kill things with a shotgun, and a “non-violent” on where psychic powers were used to do the same thing, although it was “more like a game of tag” than a deathmatch.

Guess what? The groups had no real difference; there’s very little to suggest that increasing violence increases enjoyment. The lead researched adds that this should be noted by game developers: making a game more violent won’t necessarily make it more fun.

Of course, violence is still fun- if, for example, Left 4 Dead’s zombies simply disappeared as opposed to tearing apart in a bloody mess, I’m sure there would be plenty of complaints. Likewise, the VATS messiness in Fallout 3 certainly adds something to the game. Still, the researchers have it on the nose- good game first, violence second.

Metronews via Kotaku.

Fallout 3 DLC releases January 27, patch out now

Sam Naylor — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:36:53 +0000

Shacknews reports that Fallout 3’s first downloadable content pack will be available on 27 January. Operation: Anchorage (the name of the pack) will allow players to liberate Anchorage from China, and ~~you can play in the snow~~ it will take about 4-5 hours to complete. The pack costs 800 MS points on 360 and PC, and nothing on the PS3. Seems like a good deal, but when you factor in that Microsoft’s exclusivity arrangement, your $0 will get you nothing. Still no love for PS3 owners, I suppose. The next packs are coming in February and March, if you’re not a snow fan.

[Update] Patch details after the jump, comes with free PC download link.

Bug Fixes

* Friends notification no longer causes the game to pause. (Playstation 3)
* Fixed occasional crashes during loading and waiting.
* Friendly or neutral NPC health bars, when taking damage, no longer flicker repeatedly.
* Fixed issue where certain NPCs would occasionally disappear from the game.
* Fixed issue where dead NPCs would occasionally come back to life.
* Fixed rendering issue with the Gatling Laser gun’s tracers.
* Fixed issue where the haircut menu would occasionally not appear properly.
* Added ability to remap your VATS and pip boy buttons.
* Fixed rare load/save issues that would cause NPCs to behave incorrectly.
* Fixed issue where quest objectives would occasionally not update properly due to talking activators, intercoms and conversations.
* Using Radaway from the Pip-Boy’s Status Menu repeatedly no longer crashes the game.
* Player no longer gets stuck in level up menu if their skills are maxed out.
* Fixed issue where multiple followers would occasionally not load into an interior.
* Fixed rare issue with getting stuck in VATS mode.
* Fixed rare crash with fighting NPCs with corrupted data.
* In game radios will now play properly if player was listening to the radio in the Pip-Boy first. (Playstation 3)
* Fixed rare crashes while loading and saving games.
* Fixed rare issue where player would fall through the floor while in VATS.
* Fixed occasional crash after scoring a critical hit in the head with a Railway Rifle.
* Prevent NPCs from inadvertently dying from falling.
* Fixed occasional issue where the controller would stop working properly.
* Fixed crashes related to repeatedly equipping and dropping clothing and armor into the world.

Quest Fixes

* Fixed several instances where quest item stayed in inventory permanently after completing quests.
* Fixed an issue where the distress message would occasionally not play in Trouble on the Homefront.
* In The Waters of Life quest, the Citadel gate will open properly if the player fast travels away after exiting the Taft Tunnels but before reaching the Citadel gate with Doctor Li.
* For the Home Sweet Home quest, the broken protectrons in Big Town become active at the proper time.
* In The American Dream quest, fixed specific issue which prevented the player from accessing their belongings in the locker by the door if they left the room first.
* Fixed infinite caps exploit in Strictly Business quest.
* Fixed rare instance where Dad would have no valid dialogue during The Waters of Life quest.
* Prevent issue during the Finding the Garden of Eden quest where player would fade to black, instead of traveling to Raven Rock, while in combat with a follower.
* Fixed several XP speech exploits with certain NPCs.
* Fixed XP exploit with a robot in Fort Bannister.
* Fixed issue where player’s controls can become locked permanently during The American Dream.

Download it here or here.

Fallout 3 Review

John Landis — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 07:53:54 +0000

Unless you’re living under a rock, I’m sure that you’ve heard about Fallout 3 and how awesome it is. If there is any doubt, or you just want some more to read about the game because your sickeningly addicted to it, then feel free to absorb my words as they project into your eyeballs and are interpreted by your brain goo.

Fallout 3, to put it simply, is one of the greatest games ever made. Frankly, you shouldn’t even be reading this if you haven’t played the game yet. Turn off your computer, rub your eyes a little bit, and go out and get the game. Trust me, you won’t regret it.

If you don’t want to read my long-ass review, watch this video (SPOILERS!) which shows enough crazy awesomeness that you may be convinced here and now. Lots of words will follow if this isn’t enough for you.

The game takes place in the not too distant future of mankind. Nuclear fire has ravaged the world and now the survivors do what they can to eek out an existence in a land of hostile extremes. You play as a child raised in an underground vault, where the privileged few hid away during the nuclear firestorm. You’ve spent all of your life in the vault, as has everyone else that lives there, so it’s all you or anyone else knows. “We’re born in the vault, we’ll die in the vault” as the saying goes.

That is until your father suddenly disappears one day, leaving the vault (and you) behind as he heads out into the capital wasteland. He leaves no information behind as to his motivations, but you quickly head off to find out the whole story when it turns out the leaders of the vault want you dead.

From the moment you turn the game on and start a character, the developers are tugging at you with emotional puppet strings. For some reason, playing through the tutorial as a baby and growing through to adulthood really brought about a sense of connection with the characters in the game. While I might not have really gave a crap about the father character had I just popped in the game and had a story handed to me, the interactions that your character has with their father really makes you feel the bond between them.

It’s just a great example of Bethesda’s attention to detail and love of their craft. The entire game screams polish and care. It’s very obvious that Bethesda’s people were and are fans of the Fallout franchise that they’ve lovingly resurrected. There are those who will still complain that it’s not like the original Fallout games, but I call it progress.

Yes, there are problems. It is still Fallout, though, and Fallout doesn’t have to be an isometric 2D CRPG. It does definitely feel a lot like Oblivion, so if for some crazy reason you thought Oblivion sucked, then you should probably go back to your cave and chill with the rest of the inhumans because you probably won’t get much from Fallout 3.

Unlike Oblivion, you don’t have different experience points, so you can’t just jump around to build up your athletics. Pretty much everything you do, from killing a bastard to picking a lock to disarming a landmine, will grant you some experience points, and it all goes to the same pool for leveling up. Once you level up, though, you have a lot of hard choices to make.

Unlike a lot of other RPGs, you will not get to a point in Fallout where you will max everything out. Trying to be good at everything will make you good at nothing, and probably dead a lot of the time. Specialization is the key here, and while certain situations will arise that will make you wish you had put points elsewhere, that’s just the nature of the beast. I can’t tell you how many times I had wished I’d have put more points in lockpicking, for example, but I made up for it with a quick wit (high speech) and computer skills.

This is where a lot of the beauty of the system comes from. Talking to other people who play the game, you will constantly hear different things that happened at the same point in the game. While Dan may have pickpocketed the codes to a door from some wasteland raider, I sweet-talked him into just handing them over, for example.

Every level you get to spend a certain amount of points on your skills, which include the obvious, like guns and explosives, to slightly more mundane (but quite useful) things like speech and repair. You also get to pick perks that will do strange and wonderful things depending you what you pick and what your stats are. Some do simple things like increasing your small arms skill while others do crazy things like having a mysterious dude in a trenchcoat show up every once in a while and blast the living hell out of your enemies with his magnum. His mystery is only exceeded by his power.

The graphics and sound are incredible, and I’ve never felt such wondrous loneliness while playing a game before. Wandering around the destroyed countryside surrounding the D.C. area just takes one’s breath away. I would lose myself in the visual and areal experience for hours, just… walking and being out there in the middle of a destroyed Washington. It really is something that has to be experienced to be understood, but trust me when I tell you to turn the sound up and the lights down and just… explore.

You’ll probably be better off exploring anyway, as the main game’s storyline probably only takes fifteen to twenty hours to complete if you don’t get sidetracked at all. It’s a stupendous story with plenty of twists and turns along the way, but if you just play through that and don’t do anything else, you’re missing out on what makes Bethesda such an awesome developer. Frankly, I think most anyone will find it hard NOT to get sidetracked, at least for a while.

The characters are all unique and the rewards for helping them are often too good to pass up, and I’m not talking simply better weapons or money. Each side quest could be a part of the main story on their own. I recall one quest where I was trying to track down the whereabouts of a runaway android that took me all over the capital wastes looking for clues.

There are side quests and hidden locations aplenty in Fallout. As big and empty as things seem when you’re out there wandering around, it also seems like a new adventure is just hiding around every stone or inside every trashcan. You’ll experience things as simple as escorting a lady across the wastes to as complicated as stealing the Declaration of Independence from the National Archives.

There are even “quests” which will not even show up in your quest log, like helping the guy in charge of the pump house in Megaton fix leaky pipes. He’ll simply mention that it needs done, and you can go do it whenever you feel like it. If you do it he’ll keep paying you for any scrap metal that you find, so it’s very much worth it.

The greatest part of Fallout 3 is the feeling that your decisions actually make a difference. The sort of things that you do in the wasteland can have far-reaching and permanent consequences. If you kill someone, they will not be replaced by another faceless NPC. That dude is dead. This includes anyone you have following you in your party. If Dogmeat (your faithful canine companion) bites the big one, he’s gone forever. It really forces you to think about what the people who may be following you are up to, whether or not to get into certain fights, and what equipment they should have.

For the most part, this includes quest givers also, though apparently anyone related to the continuation of the main story will simply fall unconscious instead of outright dying. I don’t really agree with this being that this is a game about hard choices, but I understand where Bethesda is coming from. They have to cater to a much weaker and coddled gaming public than in RPG days of yore, so no more will you see messages like Elder Scrolls 3 telling you that you just killed a pivotal storyline NPC and that the main story can no longer be completed. Gamers these days just don’t like to have failure as an option.

Another thing that bugged me is the apparent fear of sex by Bethesda. Fallout was never an overtly sexual game, but sticking to it’s mature themes there were sexual encounters in the two previous iterations of the franchise. I remember two very vividly. One was getting caught sleeping with some farmer’s daughter and being forced into a shotgun wedding. For the rest of the game (or at least, until she died) she would follow you around the wasteland nagging you about everything.

Another was being able to star in porno movies for cash in San Fransisco. You got to pick a porn name and once you were in one, some NPCs would notice you from the movie and yell out about how much they enjoyed your films. I always went with Arnold Swollenmember. Hell, in both games there was a perk you could pick up called Kama Sutra Master which made you very good at sexual encounters. Again, it wasn’t anything that played into the game on a constant basis, but it was there and it was an option to get certain quests and stuff moved along.

So far, I have noticed only one sexual act in the entirety of Fallout 3, and it was so bland you could hardly even consider it mature at all. There is a prostitute in the bar in Megaton who says that if you rent a room, you get her also. If you pay for the room, she’ll go up and go to sleep on the bed. That’s it. You can then use the bed to sleep in, but nothing happens.

Now, don’t get me wrong — I am a pervert, but I certainly don’t get my jollies banging video game chicks or anything. The simple fact that I can shoot a dude in the face in slo-mo and watch his brains and eyeballs go flying yet can’t even get one black screen with some sound effects seems a little bit strange to me. Maybe it’s just the pervert in me, but seeing how the world of Fallout is so shitty and people are desperate to do whatever it takes to survive, you’d think selling one’s body for money or food or something would be a little more prevalent.

Perhaps some of my disdain for this design decision comes from playing Fable 2, where you can bang pretty much anyone who has genitals. Fable 2 seems so much more cartoony and childlike compared to Fallout with the exception of it approach to sex. Fallout makes Bethesda seem like they’re afraid of the carnal pleasures or something and to me it really is a missed opportunity to further show the desperation of wasteland life. Granted, it doesn’t really detract from the game in any way, it’s more of a matter of principle for me. Blood and guts and eyeballs are perfectly fine, but God forbid we see a nipple.

My only REAL problem with the game (it’s virgin-esqe stance towards sex not withstanding) is the few glitches and bugs that pop in from time to time. It’s a huge game so these things are bound to slip through the cracks, but I did encounter at least one glitch that prevented me from completing a quest.

I had the option to teach a town how to defend themselves by using skills that I was good at. One of the options was to help them build robots to use as guards, but after I made my decision, the robot parts I was supposed to use were not to be found. Apparently, there is a problem with the physics engine and fast traveling that will sometimes cause dead bodies and such to “bounce” off the ground at tremendous speeds, sending them flying to God knows where and, with this quest at least, making it all but impossible to find them. It was simply a matter of loading a save game and choosing a different path, but the simple fact that I had to do that, to me, makes that a game-breaking bug.

The only other bug or glitch I can think of are strange graphical anomalies and placement problems. There were several times when exploring the ruins of a school or church or whatnot that I’d see things clipped through the walls. You know, severed arms or coat racks just poking through a solid brick wall.

The other was a strange inky black craziness that seemed to follow me wherever I went for a while. It was apparently a rocket launcher that I shot out of someone’s hands that went into some physics engine nightmare and was stretched and warped into incoherency. It was a little freaky and a bit annoying but nothing that was disastrous to the overall experience.

Overall, I’d say that things were pretty smooth. You can definitely see improvements over Oblivion with this version of the engine. There are no more of those annoying pauses every so often as you travel the world, for instance. There is a bit of pop-in and the like, but nothing too dramatic. The sound, as I said before, is fantastic.

I recommend turning the music soundtrack the whole way down to really experience the desolation of the wasteland in all its glory. Hell, even if you don’t the in-game music is decent enough and generally doesn’t get in the way of the aforementioned desolation. The radio stations bring a lot to the game though and listening to them while exploring can sometimes make you feel even more like you’re the last living thing alive. I highly recommend the Agatha’s Song questline and unlocking that radio station.

Fallout 3 is definitely a must-own game for anyone with a gaming system at all. Hell, if you don’t own one, you should go out and get one or upgrade your PC or something. Games like Fallout 3 are why people play games in the first place, and it should not be missed under any circumstances. It’s a 10 out of muthafuckin 10, biznatches.

Best. Headshot. EVER.

Dan Landis — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 03:09:52 +0000

Anyone who has seen or played Fallout 3 knows that the slo-mo VATS system can provide some pretty gruesome scenes — this is no exception. Possibly the goriest headshot I have ever seen in my life, complete with distinctive flying eyeballs and a lower jaw, is contained herein. Mature content warning!

(Also be warned that the volume is ridiculously loud, so you may want to turn it down before you start the video.)

Ripten Readers’ Choice: Game of the Year Nominees

Ripten Staff — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 07:26:43 +0000

2008 was a big year. There were so many great games released that it’s incredibly hard to decide which one deserves to be the Game of the Year… so that’s why we’re going to make you do it. Have a gander at our nominees and let us know which game you think deserves top honors. Additionally, we want to spark some debate as we also want to know which of our nominees is least deserving of Game of the Year.

The best commenter (best arguments, most interesting or humorous comments – as decided by Ripten staff) will also be rewarded with a super awesome prize: a free game! Let your voice be heard!

Our nominees are:

Left 4 Dead

Metal Gear Solid 4

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Grand Theft Auto IV

Fable II

LittleBigPlanet

Fallout 3

Gears of War 2

Not satisfied with our picks? Well, make your case for your Game of the Year and why we should have included your game instead of one of our nominees. Write-ins are acceptable (obviously, since all votes are technically write-ins).

Sessler Responds to Pereira Game of the Year Challenge – On Like Donkey Kong

Chad Lakkis — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 23:23:23 +0000

It’s on like fucking Donkey Kong. In case you missed it, Dan Landis originally reported on his “favorite” G4TV personality — Kevin Pereira — who issued a challenge to Adam Sessler over his selection of Fable 2 as game of the year.

Well, it didn’t take long for Sessler to chime in with a response. Hit the jump for a few choice words of wisdom.

The Watercooler – This Dream Seems Strangely Familiar

Dan Landis — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:04:29 +0000

Warning: The Watercooler is the best thing you will see on the Internet today, mainly because it is the best thing I saw on the Internet yesterday. Be advised that these Watercooler stories are not necessarily videogame related (they usually won’t be), and are often silly, controversial, and/or not safe for work (NSFW). If this type of content frequently offends you, please be aware that I just warned you — if you still click through and get offended, it will be your own stupid fault. Otherwise, please continue…

Today’s Watercooler features a recorded call from a radio show in which the caller describes these “crazy dreams” he’s been having. For some strange reason, I feel like I’ve experienced this, too.

Thanks, Sam!

You’re welcome.

For anyone that doesn’t get it, shame on you. Go buy Fallout 3 right now and see what you’re missing.

Think you have something that could be Watercooler material? Send it to dlandis@ripten.com. If your submission gets featured, you will win a prize package full of pride and accomplishment.

The Watercooler – Fallout 3 Wasteland Dancin’

Dan Landis — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 11:04:52 +0000

Today’s Watercooler features a little dance compilation thrown together by some YouTuber using the various mods available for Fallout 3 — a perfect example of what you could do if you had the time and patience to mess around with stuff. This video was suggested by our own Sam Naylor, and it really is the best thing I saw on the Internet yesterday… and so far today. I don’t know why, but I got a huge boner about a third of the way into the video.

Looking back on it, I think there must be something really wrong with me.

You’re welcome.

Think you have something that could be Watercooler material? Send it to dlandis@ripten.com. If your submission gets featured, you will win a prize package full of pride and accomplishment.

Fallout 3 Recieving Mod Tools in December, DLC next year

Sam Naylor — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:24:37 +0000

Owners of the PC and Xbox 360 versions of Bethesda’s blockbuster Fallout 3 are in for some good news today as the developer have announced both mod tools and downloadable content for both platforms, to be released in December and next year respectively. The DLC includes a continuation of the main quest and a giant battle sequence. The Mod kit (for PC only), called the “G.E.C.K” (Garden of Eden Creation Kit”) in reference to an object of the same name in Fallout 2, allows users to “create, modify, and edit any data for use with Fallout 3, from building landscapes, towns, and locations to writing dialogue, creating characters, weapons, creatures, and more,” according to Bethesda. Hit the jump for the list of DLC.

Available for 360 and PC, here’s the rundown of upcoming DLC:

* Operation: Anchorage
Enter a military simulation and fight in one of the greatest battles of the Fallout universe – the liberation of Anchorage, Alaska from its Chinese Communist invaders. An action-packed battle scheduled for release in January.
* The Pitt
Journey to the industrial raider town called The Pitt, located in the remains of Pittsburgh. Choose your side. Scheduled for release in February.
* Broken Steel
Join the ranks of the Brotherhood of Steel and rid the Capital Wasteland of the Enclave remnants once and for all. Continues the adventure past the main quest. Scheduled for release in March.

Looks like owners of the PS3 version are really missing out here; both the DLC and the Mod kit are sure to be great additions to the game. Hopefully we’ll see the embargo break and get the DLC on the PS3 as well. As for me, well I’m just lucky that I got the game on PC, eh?

Top Five New PlayStation 3 Games

Rangebar Merani — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 03:48:49 +0000

Hello PS3 lovers. Here’s my top five list of new games for the PlayStation 3. These five games are definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for some new games to play on Sony’s console. All games were just released within the past month, so they’re all still fresh. Hit the jump for the list.

#5 Resistance 2

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Release Date: 11/4/08

Genre: Shooter

Step into the shoes of Nathan Hale as you not only take on the gruesome Chimera once again, but also the Chimera disease within your own body. Sequel to 2006’s Resistance: Fall of Man, Resistance 2 is sure to be one hell of an adventure. Along with its single-player campaign, players can also join seven other players online for a co-op campaign with a separate storyline. And for more multiplayer mayhem, take on up to 60 players in huge online battles using the various weapons found in Resistance 2.

#4 Fallout 3

Publisher: Bethesda Softworks

Release Date: 10/28/08

Genre: RPG

It’s the year 2277, 200 years after the global nuclear war left the U.S. in ruins, but not completely destroyed. A small group of survivors are living in Vault 101, a Vault-Tec engineered safe haven in what is left of Washington D.C. – now known as the Capital Wasteland. Giant insects and super mutants live in the outside world, but the people of Vault 101 are safe — at least until your adventure starts. After you find your father has gone missing from the vault, you are forced to leave and voyage into the unknown. Create a unique character with the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. character system, then choose how you act, which will affect the world around you. Fallout 3 is sure to be one of the greatest games of the year.

#3 SOCOM: Confrontation

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Release Date: 10/16/08

Genre: Shooter

With online-only multiplayer gameplay, SOCOM: Confrontation is sure to be one of the best shooters exclusive to the PlayStation 3. After the success of the SOCOM series on the PlayStation 2, Sony has finally delivered a next-gen SOCOM and it sure is sweet. With up to 32-player battles, seven detailed maps, and the ability to build your own character, Confrontation is right in the mix with the best shooters this year. Read more about it in my Socom: Confrontation Ripten review.

#2 Call of Duty: World at War

Publisher: Activision

Release Date: 11/11/08

Genre: Shooter

After the huge success of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Activision is trying again with Call of Duty: World at War, but this time they’re going back to the World War II era. Built using the same engine as COD4, World at War puts you in the middle of a war in the Pacific playing either as an American Marine or a Russian Infantryman in its single-player campaign. And for the first time ever in a Call of Duty game, World at War introduces co-op play with either two-player local split screen or up to four players online. Oh, and if you thought COD4 online multiplayer was fun, just wait until you get online with this one!

#1 LittleBigPlanet

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe

Release Date: 10/30/08

Genre: Platformer

Create the world of your imagination in LittleBigPlanet, one of the best games to come out this year, exclusively for the PlayStation 3. As you discover your character’s abilities, you can then use them to create your surroundings as you like. You can move anything you see, as well as design, build, and create whatever you can imagine. Along with an enormous single-player experience, other gamers on the PlayStation Network will shape their own plots, creating a LittleBigPlanet community that’s endlessly interactive and sure to be a ball. Multiplayer modes are both on and offline, allowing you to play with friends together or competitively. Read more in our LittleBigPlanet Ripten review.

This Is How Many Headshots It Takes To Kill Somebody In Fallout 3

Keane Ng — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 19:28:56 +0000

I haven’t played Fallout 3. But please, somebody who has, please tell me: do all the NPCs have bulletproof adamantium skulls? I understand every action in the game is determined by stats and behind-the-scenes dice rolls, and that the game isn’t an action game or a shooter, but this is pretty ridiculous, and if it’s not totally indicative of what actually goes down in the game, well, it’s at least funny.

32 headshots. Ouch. Hit the jump and see it for yourself.

Should We Be Able To Kill Kids in Games?

Keane Ng — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 19:14:36 +0000

Call me sick, but in my time with Fable 2, I’ve tried to kill kids. Multiple times. You see, my character’s evil. He’d do that. He seduces men and women and takes them under the bridge and puts a flintlock rifle in their faces and pulls the trigger without remorse. He soaks up the upgrades to evil and corruption stats like they’re candy.

But kids, no matter what you do, seem to have an invisible forcefield around them. Just like GTA IV, just like in Fallout 3. Games that are about moral choices, that seem to say – we won’t go this far.

In the case of Fallout 3, lead designer Emil Pagliarulo had this to say on the topic:

We began to think, really what benefit would there be in killing the kids in the game? It just seems gratuitous, unnecessary and cruel.

Some people would say it is necessary, though.

Simon Parkin over at GameSetWatch specifically. For him, the moral depth of making the decision to kill or not kill a child is something from which games shouldn’t shy away or bar themselves from. In putting up a big “we’re not going there” sign, developers who would make a game that, on the one hand, lets you blow up an entire suburb (and probably kill some kids in the process) but doesn’t let you kill a child face to face, are failing the potential of their artistic medium:

In removing the opportunity to kill children in their anarchic game, Bethesda has admitted videogames’ ineffectiveness in providing meaningful disincentives and negative repercussions for in-game atrocities. That the team chose to carve the issue out of their game rather than attempt to engage it head on, speaks volumes.

I side with Parkin on this. Though I understand the pressure on Bethesda to avoid as much potential controversy with their game as possible, I do wish more games (like the first two Fallouts) would allow these kinds of moral choices – and if they do deliver them, to be mature, realistic and brave about it.

What do you guys think?

Fallout 3 Survival Edition is a Huge Waste of Money

Dan Landis — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 18:32:12 +0000

Some of you may instantly reply “Duh!” to that headline, but as a fan of the Fallout series, I wanted to get it all. The Amazon exclusive ‘Survival Edition’ was a pre-order special that cost a whopping $129.99 — that’s right, a full fifty bucks more than the Collector’s Edition. While the package itself is quite nice, the only thing you get in the Survival Edition that you don’t get in the Collector’s Edition is the Pip-Boy clock, and therein lies my problem.

We did an article recently describing how limited/collector’s/special editions tend to lose their value at a much slower rate than standard edition games, and sometimes actually increase in value like their name implies they should. Amazon’s Survival Edition was exclusive to people who pre-ordered the game from their website. That was the only place you were ever going to get it.

Considering the assumed limited quantity, some people seem to have purchased it with the intent of reselling as there have already been listings of the Survival Edition at a jacked-up price, like $300. I, on the other hand, bought it because I was a fan and I wanted that Pip-Boy!

For an extra $50, I assumed the Pip-Boy was going to be awesome. It’s not. While it might be awesome for a cosplayer since it has a hinge and can be snapped onto your arm (not my arm, for I’m way too buff), its only option is to be battery powered — there is no way to plug it in.

So here you have a digital clock that looks like a Pip-Boy, and all it’s really good for is telling time. It sits on its poorly crafted ‘display stand’ (I broke a piece putting it together) and that’s it. It doesn’t even have an alarm. While you may be thinking “What did you expect?”, quite honestly I expected more than a cheap ‘replica’ of a Pip-Boy made out of toy-gun plastic if I was being charged $50 for it. How about some metal or high-quality resin.

Everything else in the title picture is part of the Collector’s Edition, which was $79.99. The only thing you get extra in the Survival Edition is the Pip-Boy. Amazon no longer sells the Survival Edition (and you can’t even read the description any more), so those of you who may have thought that you missed out should rest easy knowing that you didn’t… at all. The Collector’s Edition contains everything you should want, especially the game, and is a much better deal. I would have been much happier if I had purchased it instead — the bobblehead and lunchbox are pretty sweet.

I am actually envious that you have me to tell you to not be me and waste that money. And yes, that sentence totally made sense.

UPDATE: I thought it was just me, but commenter Koreeth had the same problem, so I’m assuming it’s more widespread. In addition to the cheapy crapness that encompasses the Pip-Boy clock, it also manages to burn through those only-power-option batteries in a week. That’s bullshit. Now every time I look at it, I expect the display to read “Sucker”… and maybe it would if it could only hold a charge long enough.

Sam’s Club Fallout 3 Auction: Bid on an 8ft 120lb Brotherhood of Steel Statue

Chad Lakkis — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 22:03:29 +0000

This just in from the insane world of auctioned life size gaming related characters:

You can head on over to Samsclub.com and place your bid on a Fallout 3, Brotherhood of Steel statue standing 7 feet 11 inches tall and weighing in at a svelte 120 lbs. Of course you are going to have to be willing to part with upwards of $300 (the current high bid as of now) to take this bad boy home.

I must admit, I own a life size statue of Spider-Man that I won from Blockbuster Video a few years back. As a warning to anyone seriously considering dropping the cash to bid on a geeked-out item like this, I’ll let you know that it was pretty cool at first, but it’s now utilized as a laundry holder by my girlfriend.

Warning aside, a giant Brootherhood of Steel statue would totally help transform your unfinished basement into the perfect Fallout gaming den.

If you are interested in bidding, here’s the link again.

Tonight’s X-Play Interviews Miyamoto and Debuts the US Killzone 2 Trailer

Chad Lakkis — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 20:47:33 +0000

Want a reason to dip into your trick-or-treater stash before the little buggers start taking it all? The scarily good X-Play line up tonight is the perfect excuse. Adam and company will be interviewing gaming icon, Shigeru Miyamoto, as well as debuting the US trailer for Killzone 2 on the PlayStation 3.

Airing tonight will be the first part of a two part interview with Miyamoto, where the legendary creator shares his thoughts on Wii Music and his love of music in general.

The Prince, Fallout 3, and Pacific Rift factor in too, so make sure to check out the rest of the show highlights in the press release after the jump.

X-Play’s Big Show Delivers TONIGHT, Wednesday, October 29, only on G4

Part 1 of a 2 Part Exclusive new Shigeru Miyamoto Interview

Exclusive new US trailer for Killzone 2 on the PS3

Fallout 3 Review

Motorstorm: Pacific Rift Review

All Access Preview of Prince of Persia

Don’t miss X-Play five nights a week, at 8pm ET/PT, only on G4

Fallout 3 Best Buy Midnight Launch Openings Across the US – Did Yours Make The List?

Sal Romano — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 21:44:46 +0000

Where are you getting your copy of Fallout 3? If you want to play the post-apocalyptic RPG the minute it releases, then you may want to check out one of 2,000 Best Buy stores tonight. The stores holding the midnight launch range from Best Buys in Washington, DC, New York, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Dallas, and the Chicago metropolitan areas.

If you live near the Best Buy store in Rockville, MD. you’ll get a chance to meet the Bethesda development team of Fallout 3, including members like game director, Todd Howard.

The event includes game-kiosks, giveaways, contents, along with a live radio broadcast.

If you want it tonight, be sure to be at your local Best Buy. That is, if you’re in the specified list of participating stores.

Image Source

Bethesda Softworks Announces More Than 2,000

Fallout 3 Midnight Store Openings Across the Country

Fans Nationwide to Help Usher in One of Year’s Biggest Videogame Launches

October 27, 2008 (ROCKVILLE, MD) – Bethesda Softworks®, a ZeniMax Media company, has announced that in response to huge demand for it’s award-winning game, Fallout® 3, more than 2,000 stores across the country will open tonight. Starting at midnight, customers can pickup pre-orders and buy the game at retailers nationwide. The retail chain, Best Buy, plans to have special midnight events at stores in the Washington, DC, New York, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Dallas and Chicago metropolitan areas.

“Fallout 3 has been a labor of love for the team at Bethesda and we can’t wait to get the game into the hands of consumers,” said Todd Howard, Game Director at Bethesda Game Studios for Fallout 3. “We’re looking forward to celebrating the launch of Fallout 3 with the fans.”

Members of the development team at Bethesda Game Studios will appear at the Best Buy store in Rockville, Md., near the studio’s offices, to meet with fans. Special festivities will include game kiosks, giveaways, contests, and a live radio broadcast from the event with DC 101 FM. Game director Todd Howard will be on-hand along with other key members of the development team to sign copies of the game and chat with fellow gamers.

Fallout 3 will be available on store shelves and online in North America on October 28, in Europe and Australia on October 30 and in the UK on October 31. Developed at Bethesda Game Studios – creators of the 2006 Game of the Year, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion® – Fallout 3 is slated for release on the Xbox 360^®video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, and Games for Windows.

Fallout 3 features one of the most realized game worlds ever created. Set more than 200 years following a nuclear war, you can create any kind of character you want and explore the open wastes of Washington, D.C. however you choose. Every minute is a fight for survival as you encounter Super Mutants, Ghouls, Raiders, and other dangers of the Wasteland.

Hailed as one of the most anticipated games for 2008, Fallout 3 has already won numerous awards including Best of Show from the official Game Critics Awards at E3 2008 and a perfect 10 out of 10 review score from Official Xbox Magazine.

Fallout® 3 has been rated Mature by the ESRB. For more information on Fallout 3, visit www.BestBuy.com/Fallout3, http://fallout.bethsoft.com and www.prepareforthefuture.com.

Wal-Mart Defies the Sanctity Of Street Dates and Sells Fallout 3 Early

Demi Adejuyigbe — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 05:32:43 +0000

Everyone loves broken street dates, I mean, it’s a chance to play (and if you’re a sadist, spoil) any game before it’s official release, and happens about fifty times a week.

Lets be honest, no one sees this with any apprehension whatsoever, and everybody would get pretty happy if they got a change to play Barbie as the Island Princess early. That being said, Wal-Mart is the king of broken street dates, presumptuously due to apathetic seniors working the electronics sections, and it should come as a surprise to no one that Wal-Mart is now stocking Fallout 3. ¡Sorpresa!

For those of you in Mississippi, you might want to run down to your nearest Wal-Mart and try to pick up Fallout 3 (and check out our hands-on preview of the game as well!) Tell us in the comments if you have any success!

Source: Kotaku

The Fallout from Fallout 3’s Piracy

Justin Arnold — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 20:14:35 +0000

Vault 101 just got plundered.

The eagerly anticipated Fallout 3 is nearly upon us, yet a full three weeks before its release rapacious pig-fuckers cracked the game and offered it via various torrent sites.

This is the third AAA title that has been hacked and cracked in as many months, leaving publishers frothing at the mouth as they consider even more draconian digital rights management.

To the casual observer this may seem like an overzealous response to retain the vast sea of greenbacks the industry seems to float upon. And that certainly is a concern, after all Electronic Arts is not motivated from a position of altruism. This is about control of their product, control of their intellectual property, and control of the consumer.

Flinchingly I have read DRM proponents scathing insinuation that, and I’m paraphrasing, that “nothing is safe! Nothing is sacred! We must protect ourselves at any cost!” Yet the price of that protectionism is at the expense of the consumer. Pirates care little for the mores of the videogame industry and will, and are, molesting their games as we speak. However it’s not the pirates that are feeling the brunt of the industry’s wrath, it’s us.

Citing piracy concerns, EA slapped DRM restrictions on Spore that prohibited more than one installation per copy, turning it into a $60 rental. Yet that did not keep Spore from being cracked and on the day before its release.

Activision recently pounced and monetarily mauled some assclown for distributing their wares on torrent, and rightfully so. Yet has their Torquemada approach to prosecuting infidels resulted in scaring away such a nebulous enemy? Perhaps, but not enough. Swinging a big stick in a fight is only good if you can find someone to hit with it and so far, it’s been hit and miss.

Fallout 3’s rape and pillage is unfortunate. I’ve interviewed Pete Hines and have gotten the distinct impression that this was a fellow who, along with a talented and motivated crew, created something worth spending my hard-earned money on. And I don’t mind spending that $60 because A) I feel I am buying a superior product and B) spending that kind of jack will only encourage another Fallout title, but hopefully encourage the same stringent adherence to quality and making a game worthy of its namesake.

The piracy of Fallout 3 is an unfortunate byproduct of the age we live in, a casualty of commerce. Yet it’s not the rallying cry that DRM proponents are looking for. If anything it’s a rude awakening that DRM isn’t working as intended.

Restrictive DRM that affects the end user will only drive off wary consumers and if nothing else, encourage reporters such as myself to call companies who employ it on their collective shit.

Games shouldn’t punish gamers. Selah.

Fallout 3 Launch Party Will Detonate October 18th In Los Angeles

Sal Romano — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:04:02 +0000

The highly anticipated Fallout 3 is set to launch come the end of this month, and Bethesda’s prepared to ring it in with a bang.

Next Saturday, Bethesda will be throwing a launch party for Fallout 3 in Los Angeles. It’s sure to entertain, as hosts will include Courtney Cox (there’s a Friendly face), David Arquette, Odette Yustman, Ben Harper, and the Zenimax board of directors.

In the spirit of the event, the Foo Fighers are scheduled to nuke every living organizim within a 25 yard radius. We’re just kidding. They’ll be performing their music of course.

Fallout 3 is set to release October 28th, 2008 for the Xbox 360, PC, and PlayStation 3.

Fallout 3 Falls Victim to Piracy

Chelsea Thompson — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:54:18 +0000

Eat lead, you dirty pirates!

Fallout 3, one of the most highly anticipated titles for Xbox 360 and PS3, is already available for illegal download. It seems that PC games are not the only ones to fall prey to the digital cutlasses of piracy.

With only three weeks until the game’s official release (Oct. 28), the leak will only serve as bragging rights to asshole gamers who simply need to play the game before anyone else does. The pirated version of the game is brought to you by the same people that ruined Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

The strange thing about this is that only the 360 version is available to torrent. With all of the controversy surrounding DRM on PC games, a pirated PC version would have caused a much more explosive outcry in the gaming community. Where it stands now, it just makes people feel awkward and upset. Like when you find out your girlfriend’s been cheating on you with a furry.

Pete Hines responded to inquiries by saying, “We’re looking into it. Since we haven’t sent out a single disc, it greatly reduces the number of places this might have come from.”

Hopefully this won’t have too much of an effect on sales. Seeing as you would need a modded 360 to play the pirated version, those who which to enlarge their e-dick Gamer Score will have to wait for the official version.

Fallout 3 System Requirements: Reasonable!

Sam Naylor — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 18:32:11 +0000

Edge-Online has details on the system specifications for the PC version of Bethesda’s upcoming epic Fallout 3. While those of us running ancient machines will bow our heads in shame, most recent PCs should be able to handle the beast.

Fallout 3 releases October 28, 30 and 31 in North America, Australia and Europe, and the UK respectively. Hit the jump for the full specs.

Minimum System Requirements:

Windows XP/Vista
1GB System RAM (XP)/ 2GB System RAM (Vista)
2.4 Ghz Intel Pentium 4 or equivalent processor
Direct X 9.0c compliant video card with 256MB RAM (NVIDIA 6800 or better/ATI X850 or better)

Recommended System Requirements:

Intel Core 2 Duo processor
2 GB System RAM
Direct X 9.0c compliant video card with 512MB RAM (NVIDIA 8800 series, ATI 3800 series)

Supported Video Card Chipsets:

NVIDIA GeForce 200 series
NVIDIA Geforce 9800 series
NVIDIA Geforce 9600 series
NVIDIA Geforce 8800 series
NVIDIA Geforce 8600 series
NVIDIA Geforce 8500 series
NVIDIA Geforce 8400 series
NVIDIA Geforce 7900 series
NVIDIA Geforce 7800 series
NVIDIA Geforce 7600 series
NVIDIA Geforce 7300 series
NVIDIA GeForce 6800 series
ATI HD 4800 series
ATI HD 4600 series
ATI HD 3800 series
ATI HD 3600 series
ATI HD 3400 series
ATI HD 2900 series
ATI HD 2600 series
ATI HD 2400 series
ATI X1900 series
ATI X1800 series
ATI X1600 series
ATI X1300 series
ATI X850 series

Fall 2008 Lineup: R² Breakdown

Roly Reyes — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:46:06 +0000

Fall is fast approaching, and your bank balance will soon be dropping faster than the leaves on the tree outside your window. Naturally, you may not be able to decide for yourself which of the plethora of games to splurge your life’s savings on, and that’s where I come in.

Think of me as your personal assistant — ready to passively (and aggressively) project my thoughts and opinions onto you. Thank me later.

Dead Space (Microsoft Windows, Playstation 3, Xbox 360) 10/14 – It’s the future. We’ve made significant progressions in the space program. You’re Isaac Clarke, a space engineer, who’s answered a distress call from a ship that is, as far as he knows, only suffering from minor mechanical issue. Since we need antagonists to kill, the ship has been overrun by Necromorphs, a hostile polymorphic alien species dependant on necrotic flesh.

As lame as that sounds, all it does is confirm my suspicions that it is execution rather than conception that makes something intriguing.

EA Redwood has taken what I perceive and now know as the “Resident Evil 4 effect”: over-the-shoulder camera, controls that don’t make you want to burn a puppy, and something freak you out when you turn the corner. Comparisons to other great games continue; much like BioShock’s Rapture, a large portion, if not all, of Dead Space will be taking place in a self-contained location. What BioShock did right was make locations distinct enough to create a feeling of progression and keep things fresh with distinct differentiations in aesthetics.

Gameplay mechanics appear solid enough, and rightfully so, since they’re borrowing from the best. And let me be clear, that’s not a knock against it, I like that it borrows from games that I already know I love. Provided that they nail the gameplay, atmosphere has to be top notch, especially since they’re in the survival-horror genre, a genre that lives and dies by its ability to give you the screaming heebie-jeebies.

LittleBigPlanet (Playstation 3) 10/21 – “Play. Create. Share.” is the mantra that Media Molecule, developers of LittleBigPlanet, has lived by since they announced the title two years ago.

LBP is a 2D side-scrolling platformer that combines the Super Mario Bros paradigm of simply getting from one end of the screen to another and takes it to the next level with real-to-life physics calculations. Thow in an endearing star like Sackboy, and a pre-bundled level creator expansive enough to recreate just about anything your mind can think up, and you may begin to understand why people are clammering to reserve their copy.

If creating isn’t really your thing, you can expect a fully featured online catalog of levels created by others. Assuming that its release is met by a highly motivated and creative community focused on providing a constant stream of mind-blowing content, LBP will be surefire success.

Fable 2 (Xbox 360) 10/21 - Over promising and under delivering has very much been the theme of Peter Molyneux, the design mastermind behind Fable. I haven’t followed his hyperbolic propagand much throughout Fable II’s development, but I’m sure he’s spewed his fair share of it. The one thing I did hear is about the Han Solo factor.

The factor that has a player not being equally generous and forthcoming to everyone met, but a greedy, look-out-for-self, inward thinker that’s not exactly pure evil:

“With Han Solo, how good is good? Can you get as good as Luke Skywalker? Even he wasn’t truly good.” Molyneux said. Speaking with MTV Multiplayer blog.

He then went on t o hypothesize a potential situation in Fable II:

“If you saw a family there and had to kill these bandits to save the family, you’d kill the bandits to save the family. If I said to you, ‘okay, to save this family, you give up half your gold.’ Would you give up half your gold to save the family? Maybe you would, don’t know. The most interesting one is if I said ‘to save that family, you must be horribly, grotesquely scarred and there’s no way of ever removing the scar or the aging.’ What we found is that far, far fewer people were willing to sacrifice that.”

Would you sacrifice superficial features in a game to accomplish your good deed for the day? What about in the meatspace; fight or flight? Could an in-game situation make you stop for a second to contemplate the repercussions of your actions? Would you second guess your decision making? That seems to be the goal they are striving for here.

Fallout 3 (Microsoft Windows, Playstation 3, Xbox 360) 10/28 – Post-apocalyptic wastelands haven’t been done right since 1998, or so they say. Having only become a PC gamer recently, I missed out on both Fallout’s, and I’ve neglected to watch any of the Mad Max movies. As such, I’ve never been set in a Mad Max-esque setting – and I’m not quite sure what to expect. In other words, I have little insight into this cultural phenomenon.

I know about the barren stretches of land, the different factions, your dog, the vaults, the open-ended consequence-filled nature of the world, the VAT combat system and the Pip-Boy. All that knowledge taking up real-estate in my head, but even so, I can’t begin to understand the hype machine surrounding this games pending release. Despite my not having any comprehension as to how the game will actually “work”, it’s piqued enough of my interest that I will definitely be playing it on day one.

Gears of War 2 (Xbox 360) 11/4 - “Bigger, better, and more badass.” Was the phrase Lead Designer Cliff Bleszenski chose to introduce the world to Gears of War 2, although it was scrapped shortly thereafter. Setting aside the idiotic catch phrase, my initial fears were that little to no advancement had happened in the two year gap between the first and the second Gears of War’s.

Epic could’ve released what would ostensibly be the original Gears with a new single-player campaign and, by and large, be met with success, both critically and commercially. Marginally upgraded graphics, new enemy types, and new weapons would have likely been sold as more than enough reason to come back for round two.

Thankfully though, they didn’t phone Gears of War 2 in. A new campaign, 5 player co-op, and what seems like a vastly improved multiplayer mode have me at attention and ready for battle. The 5 player co-op has a bit of a twist, as it pits you and your friends in something more analogous to Geometry Wars: Waves. You fight through waves of Locusts with each subsequent wave being more difficult than the previous. It’s chances of being Game of the Forever are slim to none, but what it does have is a great foundation to work from, if taken in the right directions it will prove to be a success in most aspects.

Resistance 2 (Playstation 3) 11/7 – Ever since its announcement, you’ve heard about Resistance 2 and it’s scale. In fact, Insomniac Games made sure that one was never mentioned without the other. A prime example being the skyscraping 300 ft. tall Leviathan shown off at the Sony E3 Press Conference months ago. It ravaged through a 1950’s war-torn Chicago and smashed buildings with little remorse.

For those that missed the original, it’s an alternate historical take on World War II, where instead of the war progressing as it should with the Allies vs. Axis, it’s become Humans on Chimeras, a mysterious alien species life form that’s decided to invade Earth.

The first takes places through European cities. With the second, the war comes stateside and it’s up to hero of the European invasion, Nathan Hale, to play his part. Apart from repeating the word “scale” until it ceases to have meaning, they’ve also been playing the numbers game like it’s nobody’s business, unleashing an 8 player class-based co-op campaign, and 64 player squad-based competitive multiplayer.

In addition to the numbers game, they’ve also been building a new website behind-the-scenes. One that’s meant to foster a community. MyResistance.net is slated to be to Resistance 2, as Bungie.net is to Halo 3. Those are big shoes to fill, but Insomniac readily boasts the “scale” to do it.

Mirror’s Edge (Microsoft Windows, Playstation 3, Xbox 360) 11/11 - We got our first taste of the evolved paradigm of platforming courtesy of last year’s release of Assassin’s Creed. The craze is called Parkour, which is a French developed sport involving running, jumping, and otherwise traversing urban areas with complete grace and shocking fluidity. When directly translated from French to English it means “The art of movement”. The definition and translation of Parkour is easily transferable and a perfectly acceptable for Mirror’s Edge, as it takes Parkour, and translates it into a first-person action game.

Mirror’s Edge takes place in a not-so-distant dystopian future, run by a totalitarian government. I don’t know how much you know about totalitarian governments with Orwellian traits, but they like to control things, and one of their favorite things to control is information. That’s where the “Runners” come in. They take information in various forms and get it from point A to point B.

You play Faith, an extremely agile and graceful runner. As such, she can move through her environment with relative ease and fluidity. Much of Mirror’s Edge involves forward movement, you can expect to, more often than not, be in situations where you’re being shot at, chased, or otherwise incentivized to — you guessed it, move forward.

The only downfall I can think of is the game’s lack of interaction with civilians in the dystopian city. There’s just a picture perfect scene in my mind’s eye, where Faith is going from a rooftop, through a door, down a stairwell, and finally arriving in an office, ultimately interrupting a regular work-day, turning workers into obstacles that become part of the stage.

Those are the games that will keep your wallet (or purse, if you’re into that sort of thing) lighter than it has been all year.

Make sure you come back within the next few days, as I’ll be pushing the games of Fall that may slip under your radar, but shouldn’t. Save your pocket change — you’re going to need it.