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Kinect Star Wars Announces Five New Modes, Dance Like C-3P0 April 3

Todd Schlickbernd — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:00:31 +0000

According to the press release that hit our inbox this morning, and this tweet from Lucas Arts, “It’s official! Kinect Star Wars and the super awesome Millenium Xbox 360 bundle will release on April 3rd! May the Force be with you!” Yay, official stuff! It’s all there in the pudding folks, Kinect Star Wars is finally on its way out. I found this game to look like a gigantic pile of boring gobbledygook, but thankfully there’s more to the announcement!

Apparently Lucas Arts or perhaps quality control or really anyone that isn’t five likely noticed that Kinect Star Wars looked super duper boring! So they jazzed it up. Or. Cantina band…ed… it up. I’m not a huge Star Wars buff, leave me and my crappy puns alone, dammit!

Anyways they’ve announced five modes for the game including Jedi Destiny: Dark Side Rising, Podracing, Rancor Rampage, Duels of Fate, and a “Galactic Dance Off mode loaded with Star Wars-themed pop tunes, where those still honing their Jedi skills can take a break to battle Darth Vader on the dance floor or bust a move ‘Solo style.’”

That last bit seems incredibly silly, but I’m rather thrilled to see the developers or whomever’s decision this was look at their game, realize it was lackluster, and pump it full of additional things that hopefully don’t suck. In the mean time, the console looks absolutely awesome, so if you like Star Wars, or awesome consoles, or Kinect, April 3 is a date to look forward to. Kinect Star Wars will release at $49.99 USD and $449.99 for the bundle which has a white Kinect (awesome) and comes with a special C-3PO unlockable for Dance Mode.

We’re pretty sure the dance mode with the unlockable will be something like this:

The Watercooler: Do You Know What ‘Nemesis’ Means?

Sam Naylor — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 03:00:59 +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 The Watercooler is not necessarily videogame related (it usually won’t be), and is 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…

Another oldie today, but I’ve watched it again so it still counts as the best thing I saw yesterday. Anyone who has seen both Sntach and Star Wars will appreciate this most, but it’s not massively necessary. You should, though, because they are both great films. This one (if it were real) would be better, though.

“Gimme that fuckin’ shooter!”

Think you have something that could be Watercooler material? Send it to me via email: sam@ripten.com or on Twitter: @greeneggsnam. If your submission gets featured, you will win a prize package full of pride and accomplishment.

The Watercooler: The Director’s Cut of Star Wars Uncut

Sam Naylor — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 03:00:44 +0000

Today’s Watercooler is a complete showcase of the dedication of Star Wars fans. Star Wars Uncut was a project to rebuild Star Wars (A New Hope) in 15 second chunks, with fan-made material. It’s a complete mish-mash of styles, with live action scenes directly cut with paper animations and Lego stop-motion. Be warned, though- it’s literally as long as Star Wars.

If only other fans were this loyal. When you make a feature-length film in 15 second blocks about The Watercooler, I will consider you true fans.

SWTOR Devs Discuss the Future of PVP and Further Bug Fixes

Jensen Walker — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:30:36 +0000

Hot on the heels of yesterday’s 1.0.2 patch, Star Wars: The Old Republic developers James Ohlen and Gabe Amatangelo gave the community an update on what to expect over the coming months in regards to PVP and bug fixes.

For PVP aficionados, Gabe Amatangelo posted a lengthy blog in which he gave some insight into what PVPers can expect in the future. BioWare intends to add a level 50 PVP bracket to avoid instances of level 50 players easily defeating those of lower levels, and is open the possibility of further brackets down the track. Open World PVP on Ilum is going to be revamped in order to encourage competitive gameplay, including Valor points for player kills. A new same faction vs same faction warzone is in the works, and combat optimizations will be rolled out some time in January.

On the issue of bug fixes, James Ohlen explained why all bugs cannot be squashed swiftly, and why the process takes time. Having said that, BioWare pushed through a small update last name which contained the following fixes:

Fixed an issue that causes in-game chat channels to stop functioning for some players.

Prevented social emotes (like /getdown) from interfering with combat.

Obviously the latter was gamebreaking, and the former extremely annoying, as several of my guild members affected by it can attest. It’s great to see both these bugs dealt with.

For more SWTOR news, head over to the official site, and if you’re feeling particularly brave, the official forums.

Dance the Day Away: the SWTOR Dance Bug Will be Patched Tonight

Sam Naylor — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 18:34:06 +0000

Bioware has noted that the “/getdown” invincibility glitch we reported on yesterday will be patched tonight.

The glitch, which provides invincibility via the medium of dance, will be patched late tonight for North American users, or tomorrow for those of us in the proper and correct GMT timezone.

So dance, good men and women of Star Wars: The Old Republic. Dance all you can, while there’s still time. You may never experience such highs of existence again.

Five O’Clock Fan Art: Steampunk Vader

Dylan Duarte — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:00:03 +0000

George Lucas isn’t the only one that likes to tinker with Star Wars, he’s just the absolute worst at it.

Star Wars fan, be sure to check out this 8 minute documentary on the SWTOR saga.

Five O’Clock Fan Art is perfect for wrapping up the work day. You don’t want to think anymore, you just want to look at awesome things. And there’s nothing more awesome than a well crafted piece of videogame fan art. If you don’t agree, what the hell are you doing at a gaming blog?

Eric Poulton is real steamy.

BioWare Devs Delve into SWTOR Saga with 8 Minute Documentary

Jensen Walker — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:28:28 +0000

The day is finally upon us: Star Wars: The Old Republic has now launched and is live! If you didn’t pre-order, you’re now able to purchase a copy off store shelves, or of course online. If you did pre-order, you need to enter your Product Registration Code and set up a subscription plan by 11:59pm EST December 22nd, otherwise you’ll suddenly find yourself unable to play any more.

If you’ve been on the fence about picking up the game, or you’re simply interested in all things Star Wars, BioWare has released an eight minute documentary which chronicles the development of the game. The documentary covers features such as voiceover, companions, the fourth pillar (story) and graphical style, generally giving viewers an insight into the making and creative decisions behind the game. You can view the video below.

New Video Game Releases: Dec. 19 – Dec. 25 (Happy Holidays Edition)

Garrett Hartman — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 21:39:12 +0000

It’s a very magical holiday season as both Christmas and Hanukkah fall upon the same release week. Will the December blues continue with yet another bah-humbug release week or could a release from a galaxy far far away have gamers yelling, “Ho, Ho, Ho”?

Unfortunately, console fans get nothing but downloadable games while portable gamers get NADA (Nothing And Don’t Ask).

The most publicized release this week is easily Star Wars: The Old Republic, BioWare’s massively multiplayer online role-playing game based in the Star Wars universe releases to much fanfare for the PC.

The big multiplat release this week is Trine 2, a side-scrolling action platform and puzzle gamel developed by Frozenbyte. The online co-op adventure will be available on PSN and XBLA this week.

Over the past five years it’s been abundantly clear that Zombies + almost anything = big $$$. So why not Zombies and Vampires? Vampires vs. Zombies has nothing to do with the Plants vs Zombies franchise, but will feature addictive game play in the vein of the Farm Frenzy franchise. It will be available this week for the PC.

Pick of the Week – I can’t deny the the amount of fun that can be enjoyed from online c0-op action. Which is one of the reason why Trine 2 deserves a good. At the same time, the attraction to an online mmorpg which takes place in the Star Wars Universe is undeniable, despite $15 a month subscription fees. Star Wars: The Old Republic

Check out the full list of releases below.

PlayStation 3

Sonic CD (PSN)
Trine 2 (PSN)

Xbox 360

Trine 2 (XBLA)

Wii

NADA

Star Wars: The Old Republic
Star Wars: The Old Republic CE
Vampires vs. Zombies

3DS

NADA

NADA

PSP

NADA

Have a Happy Hanukkah and a Very Merry Christmas!

Five O’Clock Fan Art: Darth Vader

Dylan Duarte — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:00:08 +0000

How do I type out the Imperial March? No, it’s probably better that I don’t know, otherwise that’s all my articles will be from now on. Be sure to check out this SW:TOR review and hear what a TOR dev has to say about item mod changes.

Chris Scalf is dangerously close to the Dark Side.

This Is The Only Old Republic Review You Will Ever Need To See

Dave Oshry — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 19:10:07 +0000

You guessed, it the Bro Team is back with another dead on video review.

This time it’s for Star Wars: The Old Republic. Wait… that’s not even out yet.

Whatever, just watch it:

NO SEWER LEVELS?! NO SALE!!

For an actual preview of the old republic, check out How and Why our MMO Champion Jensen Walker Played The Old Republic For 36 Hours

This Battlefield 3 Star Wars Glitch is Epic

Dave Oshry — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 14:00:37 +0000

There have been some pretty hilarious and awesome BF3 glitches that have been found since the game’s release, but this one is as epic as it gets.

When the map textures somehow end up in the sky… prepare for deathstar from above!

For more on Battlefield 3 be sure to check out the RipTen Review.

Five O’Clock Fan Art: Star Wars: Sith Happens

Dylan Duarte — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 00:00:40 +0000

Sith Happens! Get it? It’s like the popular phrase “shit happens,” only with Sith. But Sith doesn’t just happen. It’s a choice. You show me the science that says it’s not a choice.

It looks like SWTOR is getting a simultaneous launch in the US and Europe. And the game will launch with 15 flashpoints.

UdonCrew knows exactly how Sith happens.

Five O’Clock Fan Art: Star Wars

Dylan Duarte — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 00:00:55 +0000

Star Wars, how I love thee. The impending Old Republic release date has got my Boba Fett-themed undies in a bunch and I know I can’t be the only one. Be sure to check out our two SWTOR posts today – Jedi Knight vs Bounty Hunter and Companion AI and group roles.

WitchySaint collaborated on this piece with Inker Guy and c-dubbkitari5.

Explore The SWTOR Galaxy With BioWare’s Galaxy Map

Jensen Walker — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 18:45:08 +0000

To further whet appetites for upcoming MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic, BioWare have added a new function to their HoloNet which allows you to explore the Galaxy Map. You’re able to investigate the five major sections of the Known Galaxy, expand your lore knowledge with profiles of the planets, and perhaps best of all view interactive models of the player starships. To do so, you’ll need to download the Unity Web Player (link available on the Galaxy Map page), after which you’ll be able to explore the SWTOR galaxy in 3D. The map really gives you a sense of scale in regards to how large the Star Wars setting is, and how few planets in the galaxy are actually able to support colonization.

I’ve just spent half an hour messing about with the starships and examining planets, and as of writing there seem to be some issues with viewing the embedded videos for each planet, which will hopefully be sorted out soon. Nevertheless, it’s worth a look!

Star Wars: The Old Republic’s Launch Date – Does it Really Matter That Much?

Jensen Walker — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:36:41 +0000

Last weekend at the Eurogamer Expo in London, BioWare co-founders Dr. Ray Muzyka and Dr. Greg Zeschuk announced that Star Wars: The Old Republic would launch in North America on December 20, 2011 and in Europe on December 22, 2011. Since then, the launch dates have been the subject of heavy discussion across gaming sites, the blogosphere and the official SWTOR forums. With opinions and theories running rampant, I felt I might as well add my own to the chorus.

One of the most debated topics is the proximity of the release date to the traditional Christmas holiday period. I’ll be home for Christmas, so it doesn’t particularly affect me, though it does strike me as an additional method of controlling populations and maintaining server stability during that critical first week. While I understand the frustration of those who will be travelling and visiting family in late December, the upside is that you’ll avoid, to some degree, the teething problems that all MMO’s experience.

A Christmas launch is the path to the dark side. An inability to play leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to ruining the family get together.

For various reasons, I’d never experienced an MMO launch day until last year. I slept through the day and awoke shortly before World of Warcraft’s Cataclysm expansion went live in an attempt to earn a server first achievement for being the first of my chosen class to reach level 85. I forget exactly how long that took, perhaps 16-18 hours, but I managed to pick up the achievement on my mage. My lasting memory, however, is of how utterly crowded Mount Hyjal was for the five or so hours I was stuck there.

The sheer volume of people added an extra level of complexity to my questing via a) killing mobs as soon as they spawned and b) standing on things I needed to see (such as the mobs attacking me). It was amusing, in its own way, and enjoyable too, but it was certainly a relief to reach the end of that zone and transition into Deepholm and beyond. By the time I reached Uldum, I was sharing the zone with perhaps 10 other people. The desert was, appropriately, a wasteland in terms of human contact.

An experience indicative of Cataclysm's midnight launch.

The point to that little anecdote is that while being around for launch can make for an exhilarating experience, it can also be extremely frustrating and, if you’re power gaming your way to max level, pretty lonely. I also experienced Rift’s launch, although I elected not to advance beyond the starter zone during the early access week. I progressed at what I considered a leisurely pace and capped out at level 50 after four weeks. Even at that rate, I outpaced the majority of players, and this was after many had a week’s head start.

Accordingly, being around for the launch of an MMO isn’t really necessary in any sense for most players. In many ways, it’s a disadvantage due to population density and bugs that were missed during the beta process. At the same time, it’s an exhilarating experience, a fascinating thing to witness. Of course, if you’re intent on levelling to 50 as fast as possible in SWTOR, then it’s absolutely necessary. I suspect I’ll be progressing at a slower pace this time around, taking my time to appreciate the voice acting and my character’s story.

The Vanguard's enemies are blown away by the quality of his voice acting...or possibly his gun.

It’s been mentioned that the launch date also coincides with the shut down date for Star Wars Galaxies, with that MMO forever closing its gates on December 15. I doubt BioWare really took this into account, but it creates something of a ‘passing of the torch’ moment. Other theories pertaining to the unusual launch date include pressure from EA for SWTOR to launch before 2012 and the desire to capitalise on the delay until 2012 of Diablo III. While these issues may have danced on the periphery of BioWare’s vision, I don’t really see them having forced their hand. It’s far more likely that late December had become the most realistic date for a 2011 launch given the amount of beta testing, bug fixing and general refinement still to be undertaken.

Putting the timing of the launch date aside, I’m now going to consider how smooth that launch might be. As far as I’m concerned, Rift exemplifies what an MMO launch should be – a relatively pain-free experience with stable servers, minimal bugs (with those bugs that are present being of a minor nature) and a game which delivers what it promised in terms of content.

"Now, I don't want you all to take this badly, but the 2012 Stormtrooper Pride Parade has been, uh, cancelled."

SWTOR will eclipse Rift in terms of the number of players logging into servers in that first week, even taking a holiday launch into account. This means they’re going to need more servers and that they will be under a considerable amount of stress. It’s going to be critical for BioWare to provide a launch experience similar to that of Rift’s, given that Trion showed players a near flawless launch ‘can’ be achieved and set the new standard.

I’m expecting a relatively stable launch for SWTOR. The staggered nature of its early access program will allow BioWare to gradually funnel those who have pre-ordered into their servers, with early access also providing that last minute buffer for optimisation before the official launch dates. Naturally, I expect queues and long wait periods during the first two weeks as well. It’s possible BioWare can improve on Rift here, as demand outpaced supply and many players were left waiting in queues over an hour long (and in some cases, much longer) for several weeks.

The competition for the next position in the server queue was fierce.

As for the staggering of access for those who pre-ordered, I don’t really see that as the big deal it has become. I have no problem with someone who pre-ordered on July 21 gaining early access to the game before I do. First come, first served isn’t exactly a new concept. To re-iterate what I reported in a previous news article, this staggering of admittance ‘only’ affects pre-orders. Everyone who has bought the game will be able to access servers simultaneously on the date of official launch.

With two and a half months remaining until SWTOR’s launch, it’s still too premature to be worrying about potential pitfalls. Beta weekends are likely to begin again in October, and while the NDA is still in place, as more and more people test the content a clearer picture of SWTOR is likely to emerge. At least, that’s my opinion. What’s yours? Is the late December launch date an issue for you? Do you have any concerns regarding the staggered early access period? Is SWTOR even on your MMO radar?

"What do you mean I'm STILL not in the beta!?"

Cosplay Spotlight: Lord Starkiller (The Force Unleashed)

Stephanie Gutowski — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 21:00:37 +0000

In light of the recently-revealed release date of Star Wars: The Old Republic, I decided to dive back into the wonderful world of Lucas-verse cosplay. This expedition brought me into the familiar realm of Robert Rodgers, the fantastic talent behind My Wicked Armor. Robert is an excellent sculptor with a true gift for detail and realism. He’s created many costumes for himself as well as paying customers. If you’re familiar with Amnnra’s Garrus, the turian mask should look awfully familiar. This particular costume is an excellent recreation of Starkiller’s “Darth Stalker” armor, complete with lights and battle scars.

Roberts is an outstanding creator with a closet full of awesome. Personally, I think General Grievous may be his greatest creation. It may not be from a video game or anything, but you can’t deny its excellence. I mean, come on, it’s General Grievous. See for yourself!

Oh yeah, nothing like a little low-brow Star Wars humor.

Star Wars: The Old Republic, You Have My Attention

Jensen Walker — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 23:41:07 +0000

Let’s begin by making this clear: I’m not a Star Wars fan. I’ve seen the original and prequel trilogies and that’s about it. I haven’t read any of the books or comics, nor have I played any of the games. The expanded Star Wars universe is completely foreign to me. I don’t know the names of all (if any) of the races which populate that universe and questions about the timeline would be met with a blank look. At the same time, I’m not a Star Wars hater. I appreciate what George Lucas did for sci-fi back in 1977 when Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope surged into cinemas across the world. I adore science fiction and without Star Wars we would be missing a pivotal entry into that genre. So, what then has me interested in BioWare’s forthcoming MMO, set 300 years after the events of the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic games and 3500 years prior to the Star Wars films?

The first reason is simple – BioWare. Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Dragon Age and Mass Effect, I’ve played each series and enjoyed them all. This likely instantly identifies me as an RPG lover, and that’s true enough. However, I completely skipped BioWare’s previous entry into the Star Wars universe, Knights of the Old Republic in 2003. The reason: I simply wasn’t enough of a Star Wars fan to invest myself in the game. In retrospect, having followed the development of SWTOR these past few months, I very likely missed out on an enjoyable RPG, as well as what could have been a stronger connection to BioWare’s first entry into the MMO market.

Of course, being a fan of BioWare’s games obviously isn’t reason enough to have me interested in SWTOR, else I’d have picked up KotOR all those years ago. The second reason is the fact that SWTOR is an MMO. Having devoted a sizeable chunk of my adult life to MMO’s, I recognize that I enjoy certain aspects. The camaraderie of a guild, the teamwork involved in conquering content and even aspects many would consider more obscure, such as role playing and understanding and benefiting from the server economy.

One aspect which has traditionally been lacking from MMO’s is a gripping story during the leveling process. I’m guilty of simply clicking ‘accept’ at each quest giver, sure, but after a certain point reading the quest dialogue quickly becomes monotonous. More often than not, you aren’t actually missing anything important (or even interesting) by simply skipping to the objective. SWTOR offers the possibility of ending this cycle through fully voiced dialogue, both for your own character and NPC’s. I think most people will admit that it’s a lot more engaging to listen to and watch an in-game cut scene detailing your quest parameters than it is to scroll through a text-based medium. There’s more of a sense of immediacy and the feeling that your character is actually involved in the proceedings. The more immersive the experience, the more likely you are to pay attention to the ongoing story.

Combine BioWare – a studio with a proven track record at creating excellent RPG experiences, with this new form of quest delivery and suddenly I’m interested despite the setting. The setting is in fact ancillary at this point. Fortunately, there are a number of hooks that bring it back into relevance for me. I don’t like Jedi. Or lightsabers. A heretical statement, I know. I do however enjoy the thought of ‘killing’ lightsaber wielding Jedi or Sith. From the brief glimpses we’ve had thus far, PVP in SWTOR looks to give me ample opportunity to do just that. I may not know one Star Wars planet from another but I know I’d enjoy exploring those planets nonetheless. I may not be able to name most Star Wars races, but I’d likely find them as interesting to learn about as I did those of Mass Effect.

Finally, it’s very likely that a lot of my friends and current guild mates will be heading into SWTOR upon its release, giving me another incentive to at least try it out for a month or two. I won’t be rushing in there blindly proclaiming it to be the greatest MMO to date, nor will I be colored or swayed by any pre-existing love for the setting. SWTOR is going to have to prove it has enough going for it beyond its established intellectual property to retain my interest – a task any MMO with dreams of succeeding in the industry must endeavor to deliver.

Why I Want A Shadows Of The Empire HD Remake

Justin McCullough — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 21:14:51 +0000

Every Star Wars fan (okay, maybe not the ones who only love the “original” trilogy) already know about the expanded universe in books, comics, TV series, and all sorts of other forms of media. The list of these books has grown tremendously over the years with their popularity, and it’s up to fans to pick and choose which part of the Star Wars saga they want to read about. Most fans like to read about events that happen in between or just before the movies. Others like to hear about what happens after the cute and cuddly Ewoks with their cudgels of death take down the most technologically advanced group in Star Wars history: the Empire. Maybe next time the Empire won’t base their entire storm trooper technology on cheap white plastic.

One book in particular stands out in the massive library of Star Wars fiction as being the best: Shadows of the Empire – although I will throw in anything from Timothy Zahn up there in contention.

Shadows tells the story of all of your favorite Star Wars characters (minus Han who is busy hanging out in a block of frozen carbonite) in between the Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi movies. The gang hatches a plan to save Han, but of course nothing is easy, and gets tied up in one of the galaxy’s most feared criminal organizations: Black Sun.

You’ll be introduced to other side characters that aren’t in the movies, like the droid bodyguard assassin Guri; the head of Black Sun Prince Xizor; and one of my favorite characters, Dash Rendar, to play the gritty smuggler. He’s almost a carbon copy of Han Solo (so I can see why they didn’t want to include him in the movies), but Dash is even more of an asshole. I always loved that side of Han Solo, because he’s just a complete dick and he wins over the princess who is light years out of his league.

Shadows of the Empire features just enough of the main saga of Star Wars to care, but enough new fresh, content thrown in to play around with the characters and see them in new ways. If you haven’t read the book, you might have already gotten everything by playing the N64 classic of the same name. In the game, you took control of Dash with his trusty sidekick droid Leebo, and saw a companion piece to what happens in the book.

The book mostly follows Chewie, Lando, Leia, Luke, and the droids. In the game, you follow Dash and will constantly go off on your own, but occasionally intersect with the main characters as you come back to help out. It really is neat to look back and see how a video game beautifully intertwined with tie-in fiction. I just finished reading Shadows of the Empire, and now that I look back on that game, I realize just how great it actually was.

Now I want a high definition remake.

The book illustrates a lot of flying and dog-fights in space. It’s a little tough to read because you’re constantly trying to picture in your mind what’s going on during a large-scale battle, but the book fits perfectly into what a game should be: action sequences. There were a few third-person platforming and exploration levels thrown into the N64 classic for a junkyard sequence and hunting down Boba Fett (before he gets killed in the sarlacc pit in Jedi *spoiler*) but this would also be perfect as well.

Shadow’s story was masterfully told. Every now and then in the book, you’ll find a connection to the Star Wars movies (which is what most fans want). Want to know how many Bothans died to bring Mon Mothma the second Death Star plans? That’s in the book. It’s little rewards like this that tie back into the main story and you get one of those, “Oh yeah!” moments.

Sadly, the story and the ending are Shadows’ downfall. With all of these dog-fights, high-speed chases, and epic battles, the end of the book doesn’t really wrap up. It just can’t. It’s got to make room for the Return of the Jedi movie. This could piss some gamers off. They just sat there and battled for eight hours and they get to the end only to see that pretty much everything is exactly the same as in the beginning; Han is still in carbonite, people died, there were a few space battles, and Chewbacca growled a few times. Maybe they should just have the plans fall into the Alliance’s hands and show the first couple of clips from Return of the Jedi, then cut it off, I think that would make a great ending.

The first Star Wars: Force Unleashed delivered a mediocre story at best and offered uninspired rinse and repeat gameplay (and also a Star Destroyer glitch to hamper the game). Shadows of the Empire could be a breath of fresh air that Star Wars gamers want and need. Sure, playing as Luke Starkiller in the Force Unleashed series is nice and all, but being able to tie into the main movies is something every Star Wars fan wants to do. That’s the reason the Rogue Squadron flight series did so well, and Dark Forces, and Dark Knight. See where I’m going with this? Who didn’t want to take down Imperial AT-AT walkers on Hoth in Roque Squadron? Anybody? Yeah, that’s what I thought. Everyone does.

So with those reasons right there: renewed faith in the Star Wars franchise, fun engaging gameplay, action packed sequences, and little tie-backs and hints to the original trilogy, gamers would line up in droves to play a high-def remake of Shadows of the Empire. I just hope Mr. Lucas ok’s it and forgoes the “special edition” treatment. Believe me; he’s signed off on worse: Jar Jar Binks and the reveal of midichlorians didn’t really do much for my faith in Uncle George. Let’s make up for that.

Justin “D-bag” McCullough can also be found ranting and rambling over on his personal blog at the Distorted Gamer Blog.

The Old Republic Smuggler Character Progression (Video)

Stephanie Gutowski — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 03:00:16 +0000

The smuggler progression video is up! Take a look into your future as a scoundrel or gunslinger and witness the awesome power of the galaxy’s craftiest inhabitants. There’s also a pretty fantastic foot-to-the-groin scene that’s worth a double take. I’m still not sure when exactly we’ll see Star Wars: The Old Republic, but you can bet BioWare’s got a dedicated player base already waiting in the wings with their classes picked out.

The closed beta is currently underway and I wish now, more than ever, that it was less-closed.

Five O’Clock Fan Art: Samus Fett

Dylan Duarte — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 00:00:02 +0000

I’ve always wanted to play the Metroid Prime series, but I’ve just never got around to it. If Samus looked like this, I probably would have. Also if she was Boba Fett. Also if Metroid Prime was Star Wars. I like Star Wars.

I like the cut of Ninjaink’s jib.