Gaming News: Gamespot Reviews Dead Island

From a distance, Banoi looks like a holidaymaker's paradise: a tropical island in a sparkling blue ocean, home to a luxury beach resort. Get closer, though, and you'll spot blood on the sand (and on the walls, and in the swimming pools). Zombies are shambling around by the beach bars. They're munching on corpses by the surf shack. Time to rethink that vacation.
Much like its once-idyllic location, Dead Island isn't as it first appears. It's got zombies in it, but it's not a survival horror game. It's played in a first-person perspective and has shooting, but it's not a first-person shooter. And whatever that slow-motion trailer would have you believe, it's not a stirring emotional experience. Dead Island is a schlocky, open-world action role-playing game that favours grisly melee combat above all things.

Gaming News: Gamespot Reviews Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine

If you're a Warhammer 40K fan, you've dreamed of taking up a chainsword and carving Orks into bloody chunks of flesh and bone. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine plants you in the heavy boots of an Ultramarine and lets you do just that. The viscera fly in this third-person shooter/melee hybrid. They stain the ground and splash against your screen, yet the brainless hordes continue their assault, crying out their familiar "waaagh!" before presenting themselves for slaughter. Space Marine is simple fun, and a treat for fans of the franchise--and for anyone who delights in the ceaseless bloodletting of bad guys. It is, in fact, a little too simple. As entertaining as it is, the game lacks the variety, the memorable moments, and the sense of scale of the finest shooters. After you annihilate yet another great mess of greenskins, the question arises: Is this all there is to it? With some exceptions, yes, that's all there is to it, and it's hard not to wonder what might have, should have been. But the action is so satisfying, and the atmosphere so grim, that you'll want to see the adventure through.

Gaming News: Gamespot reviews Resistance 3

Things do not look good for humanity in alternate-history 1950s America. Despite your heroic efforts as Nathan Hale in Resistance: Fall of Man and Resistance 2, the vicious Chimeran hordes have overrun the nation, and Resistance 3's campaign once again paints a stirring picture of an all-but-complete invasion. Developer Insomniac Games has proven its ability to deliver invigorating and challenging action, and it does so again here in an exciting campaign that boasts one of the most diverse and deadly arsenals around. You can play the whole affair cooperatively with another player online or off, which is a welcome addition, though it's a shame that the fantastic class-based co-op from Resistance 2 does not make a return. Fortunately, the competitive multiplayer doles out intense firefights and intriguing rewards aplenty, and it's fun to combine your unique arsenal with potent abilities to wreak havoc on your fellow humans. Resistance 3's strengths far outweigh its shortcomings, making it another great entry in this sci-fi shooter franchise.

Gaming News: Trailer for new Gears of War 3 !

Microsoft and Epic Games have released the new "Dust to Dust" trailer for Gears of War 3, coming to the Xbox 360 on September 20.Picking up eighteen months after the events of Gears of War 2 and the loss of the human stronghold of Jacinto, Gears of War 3 chronicles the battles waged by Marcus, Cole, Baird, Dom, and company to save humanity. Follow the campaign as the remnants of Delta squad battle the Locust Horde and discover an even more insidious threat emerging from Sera's core.

Chasing down crooks in high-speed chases, performing death-defying feats of driving, or bringing down entire criminal organisations might be a bit much for your average cop, but Driver: San Francisco's John Tanner takes it in his stride. As you take control of him and begin your beat on the mean streets of San Francisco, the reason why becomes clear: Tanner's uncanny ability to "shift" into the body of citizens lets you do things other cops can't, such as instantly drive any vehicle in the city, coax case clues from criminal passengers, or use cars as battering rams, to name but a few. While the premise behind this ability is ludicrous, it all makes sense as you soar over the living, breathing city for the first time, instantly transporting yourself to new missions and swiftly jumping between cars to take down criminals. Shifting is Driver's coup de grace; the feature that puts memories of the mediocre Driver 3 to rest and reinvigorates the franchise.

Here's the cover to the PS3 version of DRIVER

Gaming News: Gamespot review of Deus Ex: Human Revolution

This title is available on both the PS3 AND XBOX 360 as well


Choice. Many games provide the illusion of it; fewer deliver it in any meaningful way. Deus Ex: Human Revolution is one of those few: a first-person shooter/stealth/espionage/role-playing hybrid that allows you to overcome obstacles as you see fit. Let's say you require access to a guarded apartment building. You can shoot your way past the patrolling sentries. But maybe you'd rather sneak past them unnoticed, silently knocking them out as you go; hack an electronic lock on a side entrance; or find a hidden vent and shimmy your way inside. Play the way you want: It's up to you. In Human Revolution, this kind of flexibility can be awe inspiring, but like with many ambitious games, the individual parts and pieces aren't always satisfying on their own terms. Neither the shooting nor the stealth is best in class, and a number of flaws disrupt your suspension of disbelief. But even if the details don't stand up to scrutiny, taken as a whole, Human Revolution is an excellent game with an unsettling vision of the future we face.

Gaming News: Gamespot gives in depth review of Madden NFL '12

Peyton Hillis covers this year's Madden

Every year at this time, fans across the country are abuzz at the prospect of their chosen team's seemingly unlimited potential. Any team could hoist the fabled Lombardi Trophy, and that unbridled optimism drenches even the most levelheaded spectators in waves of hope. It's only after the weeks creep by that fans start to realize their team hasn't improved much in the months since it last took to the field. That cycle of dizzying expectations crushed by cruel reality is mirrored all too well in Madden NFL 12. The core action has seen slight improvements, making it incrementally better than last year's offering, and presentation tweaks do a better job of mimicking Sunday's biggest games. But those minor additions offer little incentive to plunk down your hard-earned cash if you already own a recent entry in the franchise. Madden 12 still offers the strategic excitement the series is known for, but the overall package is a familiar rendition of America's favorite sport. With that being said, take a look at Gamespot's review video of Madden NFL '12 below and decide if this is worth your cash !!! 

Gaming News: Trailer for EA Sports NHL 12

Last year, EA Sports benched its NBA series and watched rival 2K Sports capitalize on the absence by featuring arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan, in NBA 2K11. Turnabout is fair play, so with 2K Sports sending its NHL series to the showers for this season, EA Sports today announced that NHL 12 will feature arguably the greatest hockey player of all time, Wayne Gretzky. This marks the second time the Hall of Famer has been prominently featured in an EA game, as he served as cover athlete for last year's NHL Slapshot on the Wii.The Great One in his office.

Throughout his career, the Great One was known as much for his team play as individual accomplishments (he has more career assists than the next highest-scoring player, Gordie Howe, has goals and assists combined). So it's only fitting that EA Sports is bringing him into the game with a worthy supporting cast of his fellow NHL legends. The publisher will feature eight other former players in the game, with big-time blueliners Ray Bourque and Chris Chelios the first revealed.

The legends won't just be for show, either. EA Sports is featuring them in the new Be a Legend mode, which challenges players to match up to their namesakes' accomplishments over the course of a Be a Pro career. Players will also be able to add the game's greatest players to their roster in Be a GM, Hockey Ultimate Team, and Battle for the Cup modes or try them out in exhibition and online games.

Apart from the legends, EA Sports has updated this year's version of the series with a new "Full Contact" physics engine. The publisher aims to increase realism in the game, adding in such features as goalies that can be interfered with more realistically, as well as net battles. EA Sports has also added new events, such as the 2011 NHL Winter Classic, which will be played at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, and it has revamped the Be a Pro career mode.

An Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 downloadable demo for NHL 12 will be available worldwide beginning August 23, with the game itself launching September 9 in Europe and September 13 in North America.

Gaming News: Trailer for NBA 2K12 hits the net !

Having Michael Jordan in NBA 2K11 was a huge success, so 2K games is keeping that train of thought going with the release of  NBA 2K12 !! Not only will MJ have cover duties again on '12, But both Magic Johnson and Larry Bird will appear on their own separate covers for this years release as well !! With all of the NBA's premier talent signing contracts overseas for this coming season due to the lockout, it might be worth your time on October 4th to go out and cop this !!!!

Check the trailer below:

Here's a pic of the covers for NBA 2K12

Game News: Official Batman: Arkham City Box Art

 

It looks like we've now received the final and official art for Batman: Arkham City directly from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment. The game will be available beginning Oct. 18 in North America for the Xbox 360, Windows PC and PlayStation 3.

Batman: Arkham City builds upon the intense, atmospheric foundation of Batman: Arkham Asylum, sending players soaring into Arkham City – five times larger than the game world in Batman: Arkham Asylum – and the new maximum security "home" for all of Gotham City's thugs, gangsters and insane criminal masterminds. Set inside the heavily fortified walls of a sprawling district in the heart of Gotham City, this highly anticipated sequel introduces a brand-new story that draws together a new, all-star cast of classic characters and murderous villains from the Batman universe, as well as a vast range of new and enhanced gameplay features to deliver the ultimate experience as the Dark Knight.

Here's a couple of trailers for the game as well:

Nintendo debuts Wii U

props to yahoo news for the info !! 

 

Wii U's main console hardware Nintendo Nintendo, for the majority of this console generation, has been content to play its own game. Now it's ready to take the fight to Microsoft and Sony.
The company on Tuesday unveiled its next generation home video game machine -- dubbed Wii U -- that will be flush with the high-definition graphics gamers have come to expect, as well as a unique, touch-screen controller. It's scheduled to launch in 2012.
Like the Wii, the Wii U (which, despite the name, is not an institute of higher learning) revolves around and innovative controller. Equipped with a 6.2-inch LCD touch-screen, a camera, a microphone and an accelerometer, the controller acts as a sort of fusion of a gamepad, tablet PC and a handheld gaming system.
The system will allow players to transfer games from their TV to the controller seamlessly, something that will be handy for families with a single TV. In other words, Johnny won't need to turn off his Super Mario Bros. outing so that dad can watch the Cowboys game.
Nintendo also ran video demos showing off some of the ways in which the controller will interact with the console. Players will be able to ‘sling' elements from the controller to the TV, such as using the touch screen to throw shurikens at targets on their HD set.
Users will also be able to use it as a digital sketch pad, to have video chats and to surf the web.
Wii U's tablet-esque controller Nintendo Nintendo showed several demos for the system and said it had a version of its hit Super Smash Bros. in the works. The system's high definition capabilities put it on par with both the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 -- and that seems to have won over developers, who have been slowly moving away from the Wii as sales of that system have faltered.
Among the publishers who have pledged support are Electronic Arts, THQ and Sega, who plan to bring games like Darksiders 2, Aliens: Colonial Marines and Assassin's Creed to the system.
The Wii was accused to being so focused on attracting a new type of player that the core gamer, who traditionally has made up the bulk of Nintendo's loyalist customer base, was left out. Nintendo made it very clear that it hopes to win that audience back with Wii U, but doesn't plan to abandon the masses who made the Wii so successful.
"Some hardware is seen as only appropriate for the most passionate players," said Satoru Iwara, global president of Nintendo. "Others, like Wii, they say, seem to attract a large number of casual gamers. As an industry, what we haven't achieved yet is a game platform that is equally satisfying for all players. This is exactly what we intend to create with our new platform."

While the Wii U was the company's primary focus at the event, it did announce several titles for the 3DS that should help the handheld system, which has seen sales stumble since its launch, regain ground. Super Mario 3D, Mario Kart 3D, a new Star Fox title and a game starring Nintendo icon Kid Icarus are all scheduled to hit stores this year.
And the 25^th anniversary of its indomitable Legend of Zelda franchise hardly went unnoticed. Effective immediately, 3DS owners are able to download The Legend of Zenda: Link's Awakening for free in the newly-launched eShop. Next week, the 3DS exclusive remake of the classic Ocarina of Time hits stores, and by the end of the year, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword will be out for the Wii.
In September, DSi owners will be able to freely download the four-player co-op game The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures. Before the end of the year, Nintendo plans to host a series of global symphony performances dedicated solely to the music of Zelda.