How many of us out there are looking forward to some hot, sticky, mech-on-mech action today? How many of us were hoping to get our taste of that five or six hours ago? Well it turns out that HAWKEN still has not quite launched it’s Open Beta due to some account issues with the game.
However, the development team are assuring us that the game will be launching soon and that everyone should be keeping their eyes peeled on the main site. Of course, the forums are quite abuzz right now over the game not being released as planned.
UPDATE: THE GAME IS NOW LIVE; SEE YOU ALL IN THE METAL HELL! BWUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
If you are still waiting on your first Christmas present of the year then fear no longer – there’s a gaming freebie on the loose! Black Forest Games have announced the release of a special festive level for platforming delight Giana Sisters Twisted Dreams. The level will be automatically added to the game for those who already have it – just check under the extras tab after updating – but handily for those who have yet to try the title, the level also functions as a stand alone game.
It’s an ideal opportunity to test out a quality game for free, so those seeking some well designed and often tricky platforming can grab the level for free from Steam or GOG.COM.
In case you happened to miss it, Bioshock Infinite’s cover has already been revealed and can be found here. However after the cover was revealed there was quite a bit of backlash from the gaming community, complaining it was the most generic cover ever and many even photoshopped the male character into a number of other covers to show how generic it was.
Well Irrational Games has already said that they won’t change the display cover for Bioshock Infinite but they are planning on providing a reversible cover and you can help select which one. Irrational currently has six different cover arts that gamers can vote on and the winner will be printed on the back of the cover art. You can see the covers below and vote for your choice (#1 or #5 right?) here.
It looks like someone should probably have monitored the European version of the Dead or Alive 5 website a little bit better because it seems that that version of the site has revealed that Dead or Alive 5 Plus will be released in Europe and Australia on March 22nd next year, though France seems to be getting the title on March 21st.
As for a North American release, Tecmo Koei US has already said the game will be released there in Q1 2013 so it seems that the release date may be similar, if not a few days before, the European release of the game.
If you’re dying for some classic games then Good Old Games has a special gift just for you. Today the company revealed that they are going to be giving the 1996 classic title, Duke Nukem 3D: Atomic Edition, out to anyone who wants it via their website. In another little twist, this is also the first time that Duke Nukem 3D will be playable on a Mac system!
The game is currently free at the time of this writing and will be free all the way through December 14th 9:30AM EST. The company is also holding a holiday sale at the moment where nearly 500 games have been put on sale. You can find out what is on sale here.
While anyone who picked up the Hardened Edition or Care Package of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 has been able to play Nuketown Zombies since the game was released, everyone else has unfortunately been unable to access this very popular map in the extremely popular zombie mode.
However that has changed today thanks to the fact that Treyarch and Activision have now made Nuketown Zombies available for download for anyone who is a Season Pass holder on the Xbox 360. Currently it is unknown whether Nuketown Zombies will be released for non-season pass holders for a fee nor when it will arrive on the PC and PlayStation 3, but you can check out the trailer below to see the map in action.
More information concerning Namco Bandai’s Project Versus J was revealed in the latest issue of Weekly Shonen Jump this week. The key piece of information revealed is the fact that the title is being developed for the PlayStation Vita and PlayStation 3 (Import friendly systems) and the title will be a “team battle action” style game.
It is also worth noting that gamers will have a chance to vote on any three characters from the Shonen Jump lineup to join the game’s final roster. The magazine lists that any characters will be acceptable regardless of their position in the manga. However Western fans will not be able to submit their votes, considering the only way to let Namco Bandai hear your voice is to male in a vote via a postcard to an address listed in the magazine.
Interestingly enough, there are multiple screenshots of the game in action in this issue so expect some scans to be revealed in the next few hours showing the game in action.
Black Knight Sword already has a lot going for it, as it has the name Suda 51 attached. This twisted fairy tale is much more than that though, as it features that classic 16-bit sidescrolling gameplay that retro fanatics should love.
Here are some more details if you are unfamiliar:
Perfecting the blend of traditional side-scrolling action with a one-of-a-kind bizarre world, Black Knight Sword presents an unprecedented visual style. In this modern and interactive take on a classic fairy tale, Black Knight Sword is a throwback to the 16-bit era with simple, yet addictive gameplay within a stylized hand-drawn puppet theater world. As an intriguing “Interactive Kamishibia” (paper drama), Black Knight Sword unfolds similar to a virtual pop-up book filled with memorable creatures to encounter and addictive challenges to overcome.
Black Knight Sword is Suda 51’s twisted interpretation of the princess fairy tale where, rather than saving the charming princess, The Black Knight must free the world from a dark princess’ reign of terror. Players will solve puzzles and unleash the fury of The Black Knight’s sword, the Black Hellebore. Enchanted with powerful fairy spirits to assist in battle, the Black Hellebore will cause more than a scratch to the treacherous enemies set before The Black Knight.
SOLD! Yes, this may sound a bit niche for some, but Black Knight Sword looks damn impressive, and thankfully, is available today on the Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network for just 800 points ($9.99 PSN).
A previously unannounced iOS port of the 3DS music game Theatrhythm Final Fantasyappeared on New Zealand’s iOS App Store today, which usually suggests a worldwide release throughout the rest of the day.
The iOS release adds a “Quest Medley” mode, which puts you through a random pairing of “field” and “battle” levels, which are different every time you play through them. It also adds a composition mode in which to make your own levels, along with the ability to share these creations via Twitter.
Unlike the 3DS version, the iOS release is free to download. As reported by NeoGAF users, it comes with just two songs, with the rest purchased as in-app bundles. Even additional characters are sold through this system. However, user Goli notes that when the NZ release of the game is opened in a US account, the prices for in-app purchases show up in US denominations and add up to around $150.
Considering the teaser sitelaunched for Theatrhythm in Japan is still un-updated as of this writing, it begs the question of what the teaser site was for in the first place. In any case, Theatrhythm is most definitely worth a try if you have even the slightest appreciation for Final Fantasy music. The 3DS version currently retails for $30.
How do you promote an already great game? Well, Reverb Publishing recently made a nice little newspaper clipping for Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller to entice those to not only vote for it on Steam Greenlight, but also to pick it up online as the game is readily available.
Check out the nice little read below, with links fully inserted:
Boston Man Found Tortured to Death in Grisly Death Trap
Early reports state this the work of the Cain Killer
By Rosie Williams – October 29, 2008
BOSTON, Mass. – The latest victim in a string of brutal murders across the Boston area, Needham resident Scott Reed, 26, died as a result of injuries inflicted by the murderer-at-large known as the “Cain Killer.” This serial killer has been terrorizing the Boston area for the past three years, targeting male-female sibling pairs and using numerous torture devices that have left all victims dead. The Cain Killer kills his victims in traps involving large spikes and spears, and once left a man to suffocate in a sealed stone coffin. Disturbingly, the Cain Killer has an active following on social media that has caught police attention, although it seems this is unrelated to the murderer and the case.
Scott Reed was the son of well-known retired Boston Police Captain Brian Reed and brother of local FBI Agent Erica Reed. Boston FBI Director Samuel McAdams has confirmed that Agent Reed is being treated at Mass General Hospital for severe injuries received in the attempt to recover her brother, but is expected to make a full recovery. This makes Agent Reed the first potential victim to escape the Cain Killer. It is confirmed that Agent Reed was working on the Cain Killer case prior to her brother’s abduction and there is speculation that Scott Reed may have been targeted because of this.
Agent Reed has not made any official comments regarding her brother’s murder. Reporters and citizens have been following her still-public Facebook profile for potential information regarding the case. Police and FBI officials have requested that all citizens who have or are looking for more information regarding Reed or the Cain murders should contact the FBI media representative, or browse the public case simulation.
In case you didn’t catch the hint, VOTE FOR COGNITION TO GET GREENLIT ON STEAM! I enjoy seeing clever types of promotion bundled with already intriguing titles, and this mystery is one that should be solved by all.
In case you happened to miss it, Bioshock Infinite’s cover has already been revealed and can be found 
BOSTON, Mass. – The latest victim in a string of brutal murders across the Boston area, Needham resident Scott Reed, 26, died as a result of injuries inflicted by the murderer-at-large known as the “