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Since MasterAbbott was snoozing when Limbo’s Embargo was lifted, I was unable to give him the video file of the Avatar Awards. So since the original review didn’t have the video in it, I felt it best to do another update that had the avatar awards, as well as update the review for anyone who looks at the review in the future.
The Review for Limbo Can be Found Here.
Both awards are:
Limbo T-Shirt: Get any achievement
Limbo Creature: Beat the game
This is the third annual summer of arcade, and Lara Croft and The Guardian of Light is hitting up the rear of this promotion. While the game is getting released on the Xbox 360 exactly 4 weeks before it releases on the PS3 and PC, it is only because of a deal they signed with Microsoft. So all three versions are going to be pretty much identical. Below is a trailer for some gameplay. Enjoy.
Summer of Arcade is hitting the ground this week, and it is all starting off with Limbo. Limbo will be available on the Xbox Live Arcade on the 21st of July, 2010 for 1200 Microsoft Points.
Check out our Limbo Review here.
This week’s Deal of the Week sees the rising of some cheap Assassin’s Creed 2 DLC and 2 AC2 avatar items as well. As a side note, the DLC for AC2 does not have Achievements, but they are still fun bonus missions to play for those of you who absolutely loved Assassin’s Creed.
Assassin’s Creed II DLC:
Avatar items:
Dragon Ball Origins 2
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Developer: Game Republic
Platform: Nintendo DS (Reviewed)
Genre: Action, RPG, Brawler
Release Date: June 22, 2010
Overview:
There have been many Dragon Ball Z games throughout the years, and they have reached high fame for portraying the over-the-top action of the fighting series. But there have been barely any games portraying young Goku before he was fighting Saiyans and beings from beyond the stars. With the first game already in the books, Namco Bandai brings us Dragon Ball: Origins 2 as it continues Son Goku’s search for the Dragon Balls.
Story:
The story itself takes place through the Red Ribbon Army arc of the manga and anime, as Goku fights his way from the smallest soldier all the way to their leader in his search for the Dragon Balls, which when all seven are collected can grant any wish the collector desires.
The story continues right where the first Dragon Ball: Origins left off, with young Goku sitting on the Flying Nimbus in search of the fabled Dragon Balls. For those who don’t play the first game there is not much missing in the way of storyline to worry about. You will not be understanding some things at first, and a bit of knowledge about the story itself will be of great assistance to your overall enjoyment.
Plus the story is told in an episodic way, such as you would find in the manga or anime via the chapters or episodes. This is a nice touch and a good transition as various cut-scenes are portrayed during this jump between episodes.
Graphics:
As you begin your journey into the world of Dragon Ball you will notice that the backgrounds and the areas you will be journeying through occasionally are left behind when it comes to the rest of the action occurring on the screen. Occasionally the backdrop you will be seeing will appear bland and unnoticeable, but other times you will be amazed at where you are fighting at, this bit of inconsistency provides a feeling of rushed environmental graphics.
One thing however that does not suffer from a rush, are the characters. Each of the characters moves smoothly through their battle motions regardless of what fighting technique you use. The cut-scenes displayed throughout the game show impressive character design with facial expressions that mimic the both the Anime and the Manga amazingly well. You will see many funny expressions such as Goku’s silly wide mouthed grin, or Bulma’s surprise. Another nice feature is that the cut-scenes occupy both the top and bottom screen rather than be constrained to one, which is a good touch. The graphics have an extreme manga style feature, including when enemies are and they explode into smoke saying Boom! The feature of these graphics are perfect for the DS and Dragon Ball.
Sound:
On the other hand the background music, is a bit depressing. Instead of using various Dragon Ball theme music, you are treated to bits of music that sound similar to anything you would hear normally. Plus most of the text is treated as just that, text. There is the occasional voice over clip that will play during a cut scene and when it does it sounds just like they would from the show itself. It is unfortunate that they were not used more often, but it does provide a nice surprise when you an occasional voice inserted into the standard cut-scene.
Game play:
Dragon Ball Origins 2 takes an interesting turn on the franchise as they convert the game into a top-down brawling game. You traverse various areas around the world through set paths that are yours to navigate. Everything is strictly structured and yours to advance through with a relatively long story.
Movement is controlled through either the stylus, or the buttons, or even both if you make the choice. The buttons are a preferable option of control due to the way that you can easily string combo attacks and finishers together with ease as you battle through the various enemies you will be facing. Another little feature is that during story specific battles the game will turn into your standard fighting game side view as you do battle against your opponent old school fighting game style. There are a large amount of attacks at your disposal and a few crushing finishers as well, but this is further expanded upon by the additional characters you have a chance to play as.
Krillin, Yamcha, Eighter, and Bulma expand the fighting list with their own various attacks; the most unique of which are Bulma and Eighter. Bulma, as fans of the series may know, is far from any type of fighter but she makes up for this weakness by using firearms instead. This change in style creates various unique experiences that help break up what could possibly have been a repetitive experience.
Considering repetitiveness, the player’s ability to tolerate these types of things will eventually determine how much they enjoy the experience. The game has save points spread sporadically throughout longer levels, and none at all in smaller levels. This leads to further troublesome problems when the fact of small environmental puzzles come into play. Sure these puzzles are not very elaborate and they also create a bit of extra enjoyment, playing through the same puzzle a few times becomes a draining experience.
The reason you may have to do this, is because since the game has oddly placed save points, you will occasionally fight a very difficult boss and be defeated, and if there was not a save point anywhere in the level you will literally have to play the entire level again to reach the boss one more time. Rinse and repeat until defeated.
The amount of combat you will be doing on the other hand hardly becomes monotonous due to the fact that as you advance through the game you will learn new abilities and level up Goku’s character. This, and the fact you can change your battle style to that with his signature power pole creates plenty of opportunities for enjoyment.
There is even a bit of co-op available in the game, that is played locally. Plus a survival tower which places the player against bosses that must be defeated to advance further up the tower. Also a small feature included in the single player mode is the fact that you can collect various trophies during game play that act as collectibles. Not a very huge feature but something to do if you happen to be a completionist.
Overall:
Despite an occasional feel that the game was a bit rushed in the level design, you will find a very rewarding experience from Dragon Ball Origins 2. Fans of the Dragon Ball series will find everything they love and more from the story and the way it is told. Combat is extremely satisfying, though the lack of continuous save points is frustrating. DBO2 ultimately results in an enjoyable experience with the occasional stutter in enjoyment due to poor save point placement and odd level design.
I give Dragon Ball Origins 2
Big fans of the music gaming industry should rejoice because we now know the full release date for Harmonix’s Rock Band 3, as it arrives on shelves in North America at least on October 26th of this year. Not only that but the game itself is going to be incorporating yet another instrument into the vast amount of music peripherals already accepted for the game, and that is the musical keyboard.
As a little bit of incentive, we have also heard about the pre-order bonuses already being offered by various retailers in the States. Amazon purchasers will receive a download code for an exclusive in game guitar, Wal-Mart is offering a $10 gift card, and Gamestop is giving away three songs for free. They are unfortunately not free to choose, as the ones being given are “Blue Monday” by New Order, “My Own Summer” by The Deftones, and “Burning Down the House” by Talking Heads.
It should be interesting to see how much the bundle will cost, and what bundles will be provided for the game. There has already been a package announced that will include the keyboard only, for those who already own the various plastic music instruments and don’t wish to have a room full of drum kits.
Red Faction fans can now have a movie to look forward to. Announced today, Red Faction: Origins will hit the network SyFy brought to you by the series creators, THQ. Red Faction: Origins will be a two-hour live action movie pilot that is now scheduled to premiere on the SyFy network in March, the same month as the newest addition to the series, Red Faction: Armageddon.
Here is a statement released about the new full length feature today:
The Red Faction: Origins screenplay was written by notable writer and producer Andrew Kreisberg (Warehouse 13, Fringe, Vampire Diaries and Boston Legal), based on a story developed by Paul DeMeo (The Rocketeer, Flash, Viper, The Sentinel), THQ Director, Fiction Development. Production of the film will be managed by Universal Cable Productions.
Mark Stern, Executive Vice President Programming, Syfy & Co-head of Universal Cable Production said, “This groundbreaking deal with THQ reflects our desire to deliver a completely immersive and enhanced viewing experience for the audience. We are excited to be working with the creative team at THQ in extending the vibrant world of Red Faction to our air.”
“THQ is blazing a new trail in the gaming industry with our partnership with Syfy by introducing the Red Faction franchise to a new and broader audience” said Danny Bilson, Executive Vice President, Core Games, THQ. “This unique transmedia collaboration is one of many strategic initiatives in place to dramatically increase awareness for Red Faction Armageddon and extend the Red Faction brand across a wide variety of entertainment channels.”
The story follows the lineage of hero Alec Mason and the Mason family and will take place in-between Red Faction: Guerrilla and the upcoming Red Faction: Armageddon.
Video games making the crossover to movies is certainly nothing new. But this is no standard straight to DVD gig as landing on a cable network is quite an accomplishment that may lead to more productions depending on the success of the project. The new Red Faction: Origins seems like it will focus more on story and fan service which is great to hear considering the mixed results we have seen in the past with video games and their movie adaptations.
Seeing as THQ and SyFy are in the driver’s seat, fans should start setting their recording devices and get ready for a whole new chapter.
There is now yet another reason to make sure you have an pre-order locked in for the upcoming Fallout New Vegas Collector’s Edition. Bethesda Softworks is bringing “All Roads”, the exclusive graphic novel to be featured in the set when it releases this year.
The novel was created by Geof Darrow, with colors by Peter Doherty and some art provided by Jean Diaz (Incorruptible) and Wellinton Alves (Marvel’s Shadowland: Blood on the Streets, Nova).
New Vegas’ own creative director, Chris Avellone has wrote this stunning novel exclusively for the collector’s edition of the highly anticipated title.
Both Geof Darrow and Chris Avellone will be signing special lithographs featuring the full cover art at the Dark Horse booth (Booth #2615) at Comic-Con International in San Diego on Saturday, July 24 from 5:00pm to 6:00pm.
Pre-order bonuses don’t always please all, but this is one that stands out due to the level of the high quality team working on the project. If you are a fan of the series, this will be sure to be an excellent addition to your collection. Fallout New Vegas releases for North America on October 19, 2010 and across Europe on October 22, 2010 for the Xbox 360, PS3 & Window’s PCs. For more information on Fallout New Vegas, check out www.falloutnewvegas.com.
Game Name: Limbo
Platforms: Xbox 360
Publisher(s): Xbox LIVE Arcade
Developer(s): Playdead
Genre(s): Action
Release Date: 7/21/2010
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) Animated Blood Mild Violence
Price: 1200MSP ($15)
Story
“Uncertain of his sister’s fate, a boy enters LIMBO.” [Via Xbox.com]
I don’t like starting out with something bad about a game, but since I start out describing the story of a game in all my reviews it is going to be inevitable. Limbo literally has no clear story. Seeing as how the Xbox.com excerpt is one line long and completely sums up the entirety of the game, you shouldn’t be expecting much of a story. If you want to jump straight to where I talk about the rest of this awesome game skip this section.
Let’s take a look at the story of the game from someone starting out. The game throws you straight into a strange world, which is assumed to be Limbo based on the title of the game. The player must then progress forward and solve puzzles to keep moving through this strange world. There is no clear reason for doing what you are doing unless you read the Xbox.com description.
Not knowing the purpose of where you are going isn’t a bad thing though. The mystery adds to the overall feeling of the game. The problem lies when the story is never actually explained. I went through the entire game waiting for something awesome and deep to be explained, and the game just cuts out without any real explanation at all. The ending is awesome and short, but still doesn’t explain anything. There might be some possible meaning behind the entire game that people will philosophize about, but if there is then I completely missed it.
Gameplay
The entire gameplay of limbo is linear with obstacles blocking you way every minute or so. A good way to look at the game is to view it as a whole bunch of small puzzles all connected together in one single campaign. There is a checkpoint at the beginning of almost every puzzle, and then the entire game is split into a bunch of bigger chunks so that you can replay any puzzles you want by simply selecting the chapters.
There are a bunch of puzzles, and each one is quite unique. There are literally no two puzzles that are solved the same way. There are tons of different elements in the game, and each puzzle will combine other puzzle elements. Once they are out of elements a new one is thrown in, and others are taken out. Later in the game older puzzles are brought back in combination with newer ones. A lot of the puzzles have to do with timing everything right, while others have to do with using certain items that you wouldn’t expect to use. There are a huge amount of puzzles and I don’t want to ruin the game by giving them all away, but I could make a pretty massive list of all the types of puzzles.
There is a lot in the game that will kill you. The first time I started playing I continually died at almost every new obstacle because I didn’t know it was dangerous. Since everything kills you, exploration in the game is extremely limited. This tends to hurt the game, but after you get passed the inability to explore anywhere the game becomes more of a puzzle game and you go from one puzzle to the next to solve them. The first time through the game it is easily expected that everyone will die a lot. Trying to figure out a lot of the puzzles requires a lot of trial and error.
Since the game only uses the joystick to move and then has a jump button and a use button the game is easy to pick up for anyone. The easy controls also force the puzzles to be more abstract in order to remain fun. Every puzzle you know what to do, the problem lies in needing to find out how to do what you need to do. A lot of the time you even know what to use and in what way to use it, but getting the job done is challenging and may take a lot of players a while to do. The direct solution is usually not the correct one.
Audio & Graphics
The audio and the graphics are where this game shines. While the story is almost nonexistent and the gameplay linear, you will continue playing this game simply to see what you get to look at next. Each new area is beautiful. The artwork is simple but it creates an overall unique feeling that is quite satisfying. The game is also located in Limbo, so it creates a slight out of this world feeling.
Throughout the game audio is playing in the background. This audio is extremely quiet and slightly creepy. This audio effect almost forces the player to play in the dark and in an extremely quiet environment. I don’t know if it was intentional, but by creating that effect the game is able to pull the player into the game quick and then keep them there. Throughout the level the audio will increase in volume, tone, or speed. These moments signify an increase in some aspect in the game. Many times it will signify a need to speed up due to some danger, or an increased risk to your health. There are also nice little “body mutilation” sounds whenever you die. Depending on how you die, the game will use a corresponding sound which makes many deaths real ugly the first few times you die that way.
The graphics in the game are also brilliant. Although it is extremely simple, the black and white scheme helps create mood and remove the player from reality. Since the game takes place in Limbo it helps place the player in the location to better experience what is going on. The black and white scheme also helps hide many traps and is actually what creates a multitude of the puzzles. Deaths are also extremely nice. Since death is abundant in the game (and you will die a lot) it is a nice touch to have such a nice looking death. I even began feeling sorry for the poor guy after he died for the 10th time in the exact same spot.
Achievements
The achievements in Limbo are flat out brilliant. There is one story based achievement worth 100g and is a pretty good reward for simply playing the game. The others are based on miscellaneous tasks throughout the game. These tasks actually put much more replay into the game. Aside from the achievement that requires you to beat the game in one sitting while dying less than 5 times, the rest are decently easy to get but really hard to find. Scattered throughout the game are these egg things that you must break in order to unlock the achievement. Finding these eggs are extremely difficult and are on the path but hidden very well. Sure, you could look up every single location for easy achievements, but where is the fun in that?
The Achievement List is:
There are also 2 avatar awards that can be unlocked.
Overview
While the overall game is pretty short and a majority of the puzzles can be solved after about 5-10 minutes of pondering, Limbo is still an extremely beautiful and enjoying experience. The Audio and Graphics absorb the player into the game and create a beautiful and compelling game to traverse through. The puzzles themselves are interesting and quite fun to solve. Based on skill level the games puzzles could be difficult or easy, but even if the puzzles are easy for you Limbo is a very fun game and an even better experience to partake in.
I give Limbo
Pros
Cons
Apple NEWS !! The iOS4 Software Update for iPhone is now available for download via iTunes. Make sure you backup your iPhone first then click on update. Download is approx 350mb in size will take approx 20 mins to download and another 10-15 mins to auto install.
This update contains bug fixes and improvements, including the following:
• Improves the formula to determine how many bars of signal strength to display
Products compatible with this software update:
• iPhone 3G
• iPhone 3GS
• iPhone 4
Let us know how you go with it. Especially all you iPhone 4 users. I’ve already upgraded. No issues on my end.
