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Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light – XBLA Review

Dylan Radcliffe
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Game Name: Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light
Platforms: Xbox 360
Publisher(s): Square Enix Europe
Developer(s): Crystal Dynamics
Genre(s): Action
Release Date: 8/18/2010
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) Animated Blood Violence
Price: 1200MSP ($15 USD)
Demo: Add the demo to your Instant Queue

Story
“Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is the first ever co-op multiplayer action/adventure game featuring Lara Croft. This brand new adventure combines the hallmarks of the Tomb Raider franchise, including exploration and discovery, platforming, and puzzle solving combined with character progression, fun fast-paced combat, and elements of human cooperation and competition.” [Via Xbox.com]

While the overall story isn’t amazing, there is a slight story there. You find the mirror of smoke, but some bad guys take it from you. Supposedly they didn’t know about the curse, and now have unleashed a great evil upon the world. It is up to Lara Croft to save the day. So while the story isn’t amazing, there is at least a small reason you are going through all these puzzles.

Gameplay
The main focus of Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is the co-op, as well as the puzzles located throughout the game. Sadly, online co-op is unavailable until September 28th, so until then couch co-op will have to do. It may be hard, but managing to convincing a friend (or girlfriend *wink wink*) to come over and play this game with you is completely worth it. The game puts slight alterations in the levels in order to take full advantage of two players attempting to solve the puzzles. Have you ever played a single player puzzle game at your house, while you talk to a friend playing the exact same game over at his house? Well this game is a lot like that, except now you are playing together attempting to solve the puzzles. There is a lot of fun to be had, and quite worth the work it takes to get a friend to come over.

Throughout the game there are collectibles that will increase the strengths of your character. Collecting them can be as simple as finding them somewhere in the level, or as challenging as completing a reward challenge on the level. Reward challenges are small little tasks that can be as easy as jumping over the river without getting wet, or as hard as beating a certain boss in less than two minutes. Weapons can be obtained in the same manner, and you can outfit your character with up to 4 weapons at one time. If 4 weapons aren’t enough for you, you can always switch out by going to the menu and selecting other weapons.

The significant differences found in the co-op and single player modes prevents drop in co-op, but luckily all weapons carry over to either mode. You can always beat the game in single player and then hop over to co-op with a friend and bring all your awesome relics and weaponry with you. The ability to carry over all your stuff lets you show off just how awesome you are.

Leaderboards are also located in the game. While the main purpose of the game is to solve the puzzles and enjoy yourself, there are leaderboards for those of you who enjoy time trials. Compete against people all over the world for best times and best scores in a level. While leaderboards aren’t the most awe inspiring addition, there are many people out there who look forward to spending hours upon hours (or simply glitching) on the exact same level just be on top of the leaderboards.

Audio & Graphics
The audio in the game is forgettable. The voice acting is not as bad but the lines that are said are pretty cheesy and pointless. I don’t blame the voice actors for the cheesy lines since it is the writers fault, but having to hear a terrible one liner every time you kill a big monster or find something new gets annoying.

The graphics on the other hand are superb for an Arcade game. Admittedly the opening and ending scenes are disappointing slideshow style scenes, but the rest of the scenes are good. There is also a vertical feel to the levels, and each level is extremely cool to look at and admire. On the down side bodies fade into non existence, and shrapnel disappears shortly after forming but this is to be expected from an arcade game.

Achievements
Take note that I reveal the Secret Achievements below as well, but they just name 2 of the bosses and are progression based. The other achievements pretty much have you sampling everything there is to do within the game, whether it be finishing your first mission based reward challenge or obtaining a good score on any level. There is even an achievement for finding all 10 skulls on at least one level. There are some co-op achievements as well, which can be done with a second controller. It may require you to do some tricky controller use but it is possible. The final achievement “Tomb Raider” requires you to basically do everything within the game, and will take a while but will give achievement hunters a reason for actually collecting all the stuff in the game (Other than having epic abilities and weapons).

The achievement list is:

  • A Friend in Need – 20 – Play Co-op mode
  • Leap of Faith – 15 – Catch Totec with the grapple while he is jumping over a death fall
  • Return to sender – 15 – Reflect an enemy’s projectile back to him using Totec’s shield
  • Three birds, one stone – 10 – Kill 3 enemies with one bomb
  • Jump Jump – 10 – Jump from Totec’s shield while he is jumping
  • Beat a better mousetrap – 10 – Activate all of the spikes at once in the Spider Tomb spike field
  • Breadwinner – 25 – Earn the top score objective in any level
  • Seeing Red – 20 – Collect all 10 red skulls in any single level
  • Overachiever – 15 – Complete any level-specific Reward Challenge
  • Tomb Raider – 25 – Collect all relics, artifacts and weapons
  • Instant Sushi – 10 – Vanquish the summoned beast in the watery depths
  • Vanquish Xolotl – 25 – Regain the Mirror of Smoke

There are also two avatar awards that you can obtain by beating the game.

  • Mercenary Outfit
  • Lara Jungle Outfit

Overview
While the overall story is lacking, and the audio is forgettable the rest of the game is superb. The graphics are beautiful and the puzzles are great. With slightly altered levels for co-op it creates a fun experience for both single player and co-op. There are tons of stuff to collect and unlock, as well as bonus objectives to unlock even more rewards in game. While this game has a huge emphasis on co-op, the current lack of online co-op ruins some of the game for those who don’t have anyone to play with at home. Luckily the first DLC is promised to be free and 4 others are promised to be following it. September 28th is the current date when online Co-op will be patched into the game for free and when that date hits this game is going to get a whole lot better. Hopefully it won’t be too late.
I give Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light

8-5-capsules-out-of-10

Pros

  • Beautiful
  • First DLC is Free
  • Co-op and single player puzzles are superb
  • Leaderboards

Cons

  • Online Co-op is delayed
  • Audio could’ve been better
  • Lacking in story

Fighters Uncaged announced as Kinect exclusive by Ubisoft

Travis Bruno
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The Kinect will be getting a brand new game in November thanks to Ubisoft as they have announced today that the game Fighters Uncaged will be arriving onto the 360 elusively. The game itself will be using the players own body motions to issue attack commands through movements that they will be taught.

You will be able to experience a bit of MMA style learning as they teach you different techniques that would be used in the ring and then can be simulated into kicking your opponents teeth in. There are 70 different attacks and strikes that you can use in the game that will utilize different parts of your body. For a punch you must throw a bunch and a knee requires a knee to be lifted as well.

On a more minor note you will be experiencing these fights in 21 different stages, but you shouldn’t be expecting any boxing rings or MMA cages and should be expecting more of a Fight Club style with your fight venues. Not only that but you can have the option to team with a friend and perform two player battles with your on screen opponents. Though it would definitely be interesting to see this transform into an Xbox Live type game, but lag would definitely kick your butt…. literally.

Mortal Kombat: Six New Screenshots

Fernando T. Gonçalves
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Mortal Kombat: Six New Screenshots

Netherrealm Studios released today six new screenshots for Mortal Kombat, the re-imagination of the classic series using current generation technology, like we always dreamed about, right?

In the following screenshots we can see the return of two of our favorite characters, princess Kitana and the cyborg Cyrax, and three different arenas, Living Forest, from Mortal Kombat II, Jade’s Desert, from Ultimate Mortal Kombat III, and a re-imagination of The Belltower, from Mortal Kombat III.

Mortal Kombat will be launched early 2011, for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.

In-Game Trailer for Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Fernando T. Gonçalves
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Eidos Montreal released this week the first in-game trailer for Deus Ex: Human Revolution, finally showing us how the game’s development has been progressing. The trailer is really exciting, check it out:

Resident Evil 5 gets patched for move in September

Travis Bruno
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So if you are looking into playing with that new Move controller you bought then you are in luck if you already own a copy of Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition, because the patch for it to be available on September 19th. Though those around the world in countries that never saw the light of day with a gold edition release aren’t going to be left in the dark much longer. These countries instead will be getting a special Move Edition of the game that is already all patched up and ready to go.

Now only if those of us who already have Resident Evil 5, but opted out of buying the Gold Edition, were able to actually get this feature for free it would be nice, though apparently that is not possible due to unexplained technical issues.

Intellivision Lives! to Feature Unreleased Games…

Dustin Spencer
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As the release date looms closer, we are learning more and more about Virtual Play’s Intellivision Lives! on the Nintendo DS. In the mix of the over 60 classic games the collection will have, gamers will also be seeing some unreleased titles that are exclusive to the new DS installment. Hard Hat, Blow Out and Takeover were all unseen to the console back in the 80’s and now will be fully playable in Intellivision Lives!. Here are some new images and screenshots of three unreleased titles:

All three of these games are available through multi-player using single card play. You may also notice with these screenshots the way the bottom screen is used. Each game will incorporate a different overlay for the touchscreen controls so each game feels completely different from the next. As a gamer who loved the classic games, I am very excited to be able to try out this huge new compilation and getting these three unreleased titles seems to be the icing on the pixelated cake. Intellivision Lives! releases next month in September to the Nintendo DS.

Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock Song List Revealed

Chris Reyes
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Who’s tired of Guitar Hero and other music games? As a musician, I know your pain. Last year was like a mass-genocide of music games with all the crap they put out. This year, it seems, they’ve decided to bring their A game. Rock Band 3 is adding keyboard support and a pro-guitar which is supposed to actually teach you how to play, and Guitar Hero is… adding a story mode.

Well, I love great stories, and this one is narrated by the Demon himself, Gene Simmons, so maybe it might be worth checking out? I know I’ll at least rent it if my eyes aren’t deceiving me about the song list below:

  • A Perfect Circle – “The Outsider”
  • Aerosmith – “Cryin’”
  • AFI – “Dancing Through Sunday”
  • Alice Cooper – “No More Mr. Nice Guy”
  • Alter Bridge – “Ties That Bind”
  • Anberlin – “The Feel Good Drag”
  • Anthrax – “Indians”
  • Arch Enemy – “Nemesis”
  • Atreyu – “Ravenous”
  • Avenged Sevenfold – “Bat Country”
  • Bad Brains – “Re-Ignition (Live)”
  • Band Of Skulls – “I Know What I Am”
  • Black Sabbath – “Children Of The Grave”
  • Blind Melon – “Tones Of Home”
  • Blue Öyster Cult – “Burnin’ For You”
  • Bush – “Machinehead”
  • Buzzcocks – “What Do I Get?”
  • Children Of Bodom – “If You Want Peace… Prepare For War”
  • Creedence Clearwater Revival – “Fortunate Son”
  • The Cure – “Fascination Street”
  • Deep Purple – “Burn”
  • Def Leppard – “Pour Some Sugar On Me (Live)”
  • Dethklok – “Bloodlines”
  • The Dillinger Escape Plan – “Setting Fire To Sleeping Giants”
  • Dire Straits – “Money For Nothing”
  • DragonForce – “Fury of the Storm”
  • Drowning Pool – “Bodies”
  • Edgar Winter– “Free Ride”
  • Fall Out Boy – “Dance, Dance”
  • Five Finger Death Punch – “Hard To See”
  • Flyleaf – “Again”
  • Foo Fighters – “No Way Back”
  • Foreigner – “Feels Like The First Time”
  • George Thorogood and The Destroyers – “Move It On Over (Live)”
  • The Hives – “Tick Tick Boom”
  • Interpol – “Slow Hands”
  • Jane’s Addiction – “Been Caught Stealing”
  • Jethro Tull – “Aqualung”
  • John 5 – “Black Widow Of La Porte”
  • KISS – “Love Gun”
  • Linkin Park – “Bleed It Out”
  • Lynyrd Skynyrd – “Call Me The Breeze (Live)”
  • Megadeth – “Sudden Death”
  • Megadeth – “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due”
  • Megadeth – “This Day We Fight!”
  • Metallica & Ozzy Osbourne – “Paranoid (Live)”
  • Muse – “Uprising”
  • My Chemical Romance – “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)”
  • Neil Young – “Rockin’ In The Free World”
  • Nickelback – “How You Remind Me”
  • Night Ranger – “(You Can Still) Rock In America”
  • Nine Inch Nails – “Wish”
  • The Offspring – “Self Esteem”
  • Orianthi – “Suffocated”
  • Pantera – “I’m Broken”
  • Phoenix – “Lasso”
  • Poison – “Unskinny Bop”
  • Queen – “Bohemian Rhapsody”
  • Queensrÿche – “Jet City Woman”
  • Rammstein – “Waidmanns Heil”
  • The Ramones – “Theme From Spiderman”
  • Red Rider – “Lunatic Fringe”
  • R.E.M. – “Losing My Religion”
  • Rise Against – “Savior”
  • The Rolling Stones – “Stray Cat Blues”
  • The Runaways – “Cherry Bomb”
  • Rush – “2112 Pt. 1 – Overture”
  • Rush – “2112 Pt. 2 – The Temples Of Syrinx”
  • Rush – “2112 Pt. 3 – Discovery”
  • Rush – “2112 Pt. 4 – Presentation”
  • Rush – “2112 Pt. 5 – Oracle: The Dream”
  • Rush – “2112 Pt. 6 – Soliloquy”
  • Rush – “2112 Pt. 7 – Grand Finale”
  • RX Bandits – “It’s Only Another Parsec…”
  • Silversun Pickups – “There’s No Secrets This Year”
  • Slash featuring Ian Astbury – “Ghost”
  • Slayer – “Chemical Warfare”
  • Slipknot – “Psychosocial”
  • Snot – “Deadfall”
  • Soundgarden – “Black Rain”
  • Steve Vai – “Speeding” (Vault Version)
  • Stone Temple Pilots – “Interstate Love Song”
  • Strung Out – “Calling”
  • Styx – “Renegade”
  • Sum 41 – “Motivation”
  • Tesla – “Modern Day Cowboy”
  • Them Crooked Vultures – “Scumbag Blues”
  • Third Eye Blind – “Graduate”
  • Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – “Listen To Her Heart”
  • Twisted Sister – “We’re Not Gonna Take It”
  • The Vines – “Get Free”
  • The White Stripes – “Seven Nation Army”
  • ZZ Top – “Sharp Dressed Man (Live)”

Rammstein, Bush, Dethklok, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Rush, okay maybe I’m sold on this one. I avoided all music games last year, so this year I have to get this one and jam through it. Kinda excited, not gonna lie, who’s coming over the Kail-Cave for some brews and Guitar Hero?

Some Details About Heroes on the Move

Chris Reyes
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We all saw Sony’s E3 conference, and we saw the PlayStation Move in action. The Wii Remote times 10 that they showed us seems pretty cool to me, I’m not gonna lie, but the thing that I need to really sell me on it is a great game. Heavy Rain with Move controls? Nah. What I need is something GREAT. Like Heroes on the Move. Get it? Get it? They’re Heroes… and they’re on the Move…. yeah. The only reason this game caught my eye, though, is because I’m a SUCKER for Cross Overs.

They showed some game play at E3, but after that we haven’t really heard much about this game. I really hope it doesn’t become just shovelwear, because the concept seems pretty cool. Combining gameplay elements of 3 different games into one, using the PlayStation Move, it almost sounds like a motion controlled Super Mario Crossover. Sony recently released a press release giving us a little look at what the game has in store for us. Check it out!

Heroes On The Move (Working Title) FACT SHEET

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America, LLC
Developer: Nihilistic Software
Platform: PlayStation®3 (PS3TM) system
Genre: Action-Adventure Party Game
Players: 1-2 Players
Release: Spring 2011
Rating: “RP”
Required Peripherals: (1-2) PlayStation®Move motion controllers, (1) PlayStation Move navigation controller or DUALSHOCK 3, PlayStation®Eye camera

OVERVIEW:
For the first time ever, Heroes On The Move (working title) brings together a cast of PlayStation®’s most beloved characters from three iconic franchises – Ratchet & Clank, Jak & Daxter, and Sly Cooper – in a new title developed exclusively for the PlayStation®Move. Ratchet, Clank, Jak, Daxter, Sly, and Bentley assemble together to compete in a series of intergalactic challenges and events. And now, with the PlayStation®Move motion controller and the PlayStation®Move navigation controller, players have the unique experience of becoming one of PlayStation’s greatest heroes, controlling their every move throughout the game as they smash, hurl, and shoot their way through challenges… and team up against some mysterious new enemies.

STORYLINE:
A mysterious alien duo has swept through the galaxy, fiendishly snatching entire chunks from the worlds of Ratchet, Jak and Sly to create a mysterious new planet in the galaxy. After being abducted to this new world, Ratchet, Clank, Jak, Daxter, Sly Cooper and Bentley are invited by their gracious alien hosts to compete in friendly, yet challenging competition to test their extraordinary skills… but as our heroes discover, all is not as it seems. Our fearless heroes soon find themselves joined together in the ultimate battle to protect the galaxy – and in a fight for their own survival.

KEY FEATURES:

  • The Ultimate Crossover Gameplay – Compete in a series of competitive challenges and events that will test your skills as you devastate your enemies, destroy targets, collect power-ups, and more.
  • Six Legendary PlayStaion Heroes – Choose to play as Ratchet, Clank, Sly Cooper, Jak, or Daxter, each with their own unique personalities, strengths, and weapons.
  • Vibrant Signature Environments – Compete in challenges set in familiar landscapes from each franchise, including Metropolis (Ratchet & Clank), Haven City (Jak & Daxter) and Paris (Sly Cooper), each with their own visual themes and destructive elements.
  • Amped-Up Weapons Arsenal – Play with signature, fan-favorite weapons from each franchise and deliver powerful attacks to your enemies with a new arsenal of super power weapons, uniquely customized to each character.
  • Medals for Top Scores – Earn gold, silver, or bronze medals for completing challenges and events. The more medals you earn, the more challenges you unlock.
  • Online Ranking – Online PlayStation Network leaderboards show players how they stack-up against other players on the network.
  • Only On The PlayStation Move – Designed specifically with PlayStation Move mechanics, players can now step into the game and experience these legendary heroes like never before. Take complete control over your hero’s weapon with intuitive motions, making gameplay accessible and fun for casual gamers while still delivering a deep, replay value for core fans.

Who’s excited for this? I’m not sure, it could go either way, but hopefully it’s good because, y’know me, I’m a SUCKER for crossovers! Let us know what you think in the comments!

We all saw Sony’s E3 conference, and we saw the PlayStation Move in action. The Wii Remote times 10 that they showed us seems pretty cool to me, I’m not gonna lie, but the thing that I need to really sell me on it is a great game. Heavy Rain with Move controls? Nah. What I need is something GREAT. Like Heroes on the Move. Get it? Get it? They’re Heroes… and they’re on the Move…. yeah. The only reason this game caught my eye, though, is because I’m a SUCKER for Cross Overs.
They showed some game play at E3, but after that we haven’t really heard much about this game. I really hope it doesn’t become just shovelwear, because the concept seems pretty cool. Combining gameplay elements of 3 different games into one, using the PlayStation Move, it almost sounds like a motion controlled Super Mario Crossover. Sony recently released a press release giving us a little look at what the game has in store for us. Check it out!

Ubisoft announces H.A.W.X. 2 Demo

Jack Joly
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In preparation for the release of their upcoming game- Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. 2- Ubisoft are releasing a playable demo for Xbox 360 and PS3. The Xbox 360 Demo is available for download now (released August 17th), whereas the PS3 Demo will be made available on August 19th. Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. 2 will also be released on Nintendo Wii and PC, although a demo for these formats is not on the cards.

The demo offers 2 single-player missions:

Interception Course

Take to the air as a Russian pilot sent to intercept a group of stolen aircraft high above the Caucasus Mountains, a hot spot on the world conflict radar, you will be playing a Russian pilot in this mission part of the new multinational cinematic story narrative in H.A.W.X. 2.

 

Seek and Destroy

Playing from the perspective of the elite U.S. H.A.W.X. squadron deployed to settle conflict spilling over in Africa, you are tasked with taking out specific targets with smart ammunition at night. Take off from a carrier under the cover of night and strike against a weapon smuggling operation using precision guided laser bombs.

Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. 2 will ship in Australia on September 2, 2010 for Xbox 360 and on September 9, 2010 for PlayStation 3. Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X 2 will also be released for the Wii and PC.

Beyblade: Metal Fusion to Receive 3 Different Collectors’ Editions..

Dustin Spencer
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Recently we broke the story about the newest title in the BeyBlade franchise by Hudson, Beyblade: Metal Fusion. Hudson will now be offering three collector’s editions for three separate retailers in the U.S for the Nintendo DS version of the game. Each collector edition will come with an exclusive in game character and toy Beyblade. These exclusive Beyblades have a unique metal facebolt not available anywhere else, and also allow for enthusiasts to customize their Beyblades to be uniquely their own.

The “Cyber Pegasus 100HF” Edition will be available at Toys “R” Us

The “Bakushin Susanow 105F” Edition will be available at Walmart

The “Counter Leone D125B” Edition can be found at all other major retailers

“The BEYBLADE franchise is incredibly popular with kids, so we’re happy to be able to offer these limited edition toys to go along with the game,” said Mike Pepe, director of marketing for Hudson Entertainment. “In addition, the limited edition bonuses that can be used in the actual game make for an even more special Beyblading experience that will only be available to a limited few.”

Also included with these collectors’ editions of Beyblade: Metal Fusion are in-game characters made exclusively each version. Players with access to the limited edition versions of the game can log online from their Wii using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to compete against different players and download their counterpart’s unique characters and Beyblades to add to their own DS collection.

I see this as a brilliant move that is sure to get younger gamers interested in a whole new generation of the popular series and dedicated fans are sure to have all three on their wish-list to collect them all. Be sure to keep an eye out as the title drops this fall for the Nintendo DS and Nintendo Wii.

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