The Ball is an indie adventure puzzle game that you probably hadn’t heard of. I’ll be glad to fix that. The Ball started out as a Unreal Tournament 3 mod and moved up to become an actual product.
To set up the story, you take control of an archeologist in Mexico. Some things go wrong and you’re now stuck in an underground cave with no choice but to move forward, eventually stumbling upon an ancient artifact called “The Ball”. Venturing deeper into the cave, you quickly realize that you’ve stumbled upon an ancient civilization. These ancient ruins are filled with puzzles and angry mummies.
To solve just about every puzzle you’ll use the Ball – a big and detailed sphere. Pressing switches is only part of the deal as physics plays a huge part in the puzzle solving. I’ve only played about half of the game and I’ve been impressed with every puzzle so far – each one unique and fun to solve.
Initially I was worried about how the ball would control. You’re equipped with a hammer gun which punches the ball forward. Alternatively you can suck the ball towards you if it strays too far. The levels are designed well enough so it’s never a hassle to get the Ball from point A to B. The atmosphere in the levels successfully creates a mysterious and creepy environments as you venture through underground temples and caverns. The game looks absolutely wonderful running on the Unreal Engine, especially with all the settings turned up.
You usually don’t find combat in a puzzle game such at this but The Ball certainly does. The combat is fairly simplistic since you only have the Ball for protection. To kill anything, you’ll have to punch the Ball their way and run them over with it. Most combat scenarios are hectic since you’ll have about 20 mummies rushing you all at once, making is very satisfying when the Ball mows them down.
The Ball is one of those games where you need to see it in action to understand why it’s fun. The Ball will be released on PC in October.
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light will be released on the PS3 and PC today via PSN and Steam respectively. Although PS3 and PC players will still be unable to play online cooperatively, every feature from XBLA will still be in place. Look for the online coop update to be released shortly for all systems, as well as 5 new DLC packs. The first 3 DLC expansion packs will contain new puzzles, and the other 2 packs will be playable character packs. Also, the first DLC is free for a limited time. Why raid when you can get it free?
Darrell Gallagher, General Manager of Crystal Dynamics, said, “We can’t wait for PlayStation and PC gamers to get their hands on Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light. We’re committed to delivering the very best gameplay experience possible and the fact that this is the highest rated Lara Croft game since the original Tomb Raider was released back in 1996 is a testament to this. I would encourage everyone to try the free trial.”
Fable 3 is looking to be one of the next big releases this year and as a huge fan of the series, it couldn’t come soon enough. Fable 3 already looks promising with the updated story, graphics, and more features than ever before. One thing that is always a plus to see though is good voice actors as well and Lionhead Studios recently released a new “Inside Lionhead” video today about the high profile voice talent that worked on the project.
“The ‘Fable’ franchise has always been recognized for its unique take on drama, morality, and of course, humour,” said Louise Copley, head of the “Fable” franchise. “We’re taking this to the limits in ‘Fable III’ by bringing on a star-studded cast that includes Sir Ben Kingsley, John Cleese and Simon Pegg, who truly understand what it takes to bring characters to life in complex ways and add new dimensions of blockbuster entertainment to ‘Fable III.’”
“This is my first experience voicing a video game, so what drew me to it was the team, how committed they are, how well organized everything is and how beautiful the game is,” said Sir Ben Kingsley in the video documentary. “One of the things that’s missing from a lot of video games is good writing and good voice work. I think this one has a wonderful mythology and it’s witty and it’s engrossing,” added Simon Pegg in the video documentary.
Some of the biggest stars that made it into the game are:
John Cleese (James Bond Series, Monty Python) as your trusty butler and confidant, Jasper
Sir Ben Kingsley (Gandhi, Shutter Island) as the leader of the mountain dwellers, Sabine
Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Star Trek) as attention-seeking soldier Benn Finn who is looking for action
Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds) as the evil King Logan whom your “Fable III” hero will lead a revolution against
Zoë Wannamaker (Madame Hooch from Harry Potter) returns as Theresa. She was last seen taking over the Spire in “Fable II,” but who knows what her real motivation is?
Stephen Fry (Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland) returns as Reaver, the narcissistic marksman blessed with eternal youth
Bernard Hill (Titantic, Lord of the Rings) as Sir Walter Beck, your faithful mentor
Nicholas Hoult (About a Boy) as the potential male love interest, Elliot, to your “Fable III” female hero
Naomie Harris (28 Days Later, Pirates of the Caribbean) as Page, the leader of the rebels who reside in Bowerstone
You can check out the latest “Inside Lionhead” video and get a first look at some of this huge cast in action below. Fable 3 releases October 29th for the Xbox 360 and we will be sure to bring you even more coverage as the date looms closer.
Today Sony announced the release of a Game of the Year Edition of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, the sequel to Naughty Dog’s smash hit Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. I’m actually surprised this hasn’t been available for months already! Uncharted 2 is a truly incredible game, and it deserves more than just a Game of the Year edition, it deserves a Best Game Ever edition. I wouldn’t go that far actually, but it’s the best game this generation hands down.
What does this GOTY Edish hold for those of us who don’t already own this amazing game? According to the artwork, about $35 worth of DLC:
* PlayStation Heroes Skin Pack
* UNCHARTED: Drake’s Fortune Multiplayer Pack
* UNCHARTED 2 Siege Expansion Pack
* Currency Multiplier which grants Double XP up to level 10 in Multiplayer
* Golden Guns option for the AK-47 and the 92FS 9mm pistol for use in Multiplayer
* Early access to “Revenge” Booster – you still have to purchase it with in-game cash!
* UNCHARTED: Eye of Indra – Motion Comic Bundle (which includes Episodes 1-4)
* UNCHARTED: Eye of Indra – Rika Raja and Daniel Pinkerton Character Skins
* UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves – Avatar Pack 1
* UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves – Avatar Pack 2
* UNCHARTED Avatar Pack 3
* UNCHARTED Avatar Pack 4
* Pinball Heroes – UNCHARTED for the PSP
Honestly, this game is so good that a Game of the Year edition doesn’t need all this extra stuff, but it’s awesome that they’re throwing it in anyways. The retail price is $49.99, which is only a $10.00 drop from the original price, but you’re getting $35 worth of content, so you’re getting an incredible deal. If you don’t already have this game, run out and get it when the Game of the Year edition drops on October 12th!
Today Sony announced the release of a Game of the Year Edition of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, the sequel to Naughty Dog’s smash hit Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. I’m actually surprised this hasn’t been available for months already! Uncharted 2 is a truly incredible game, and it deserves more than just a Game of the Year edition, it deserves a Best Game Ever edition. I wouldn’t go that far actually, but it’s the best game this generation hands down.
What does this GOTY Edish hold for those of us who don’t already own this amazing game? According to the artwork, about $35 worth of DLC:
* PlayStation Heroes Skin Pack
* UNCHARTED: Drake’s Fortune Multiplayer Pack
* UNCHARTED 2 Siege Expansion Pack
* Currency Multiplier which grants Double XP up to level 10 in Multiplayer
* Golden Guns option for the AK-47 and the 92FS 9mm pistol for use in Multiplayer
* Early access to “Revenge” Booster – you still have to purchase it with in-game cash!
* UNCHARTED: Eye of Indra – Motion Comic Bundle (which includes Episodes 1-4)
* UNCHARTED: Eye of Indra – Rika Raja and Daniel Pinkerton Character Skins
* UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves – Avatar Pack 1
* UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves – Avatar Pack 2
* UNCHARTED Avatar Pack 3
* UNCHARTED Avatar Pack 4
* Pinball Heroes – UNCHARTED for the PSP
Honestly, this game is so good that a Game of the Year edition doesn’t need all this extra stuff, but it’s awesome that they’re throwing it in anyways. The retail price is $49.99, which is only a $10.00 drop from the original price, but you’re getting $35 worth of content, so you’re getting an incredible deal. If you don’t already have this game, run out and get it when the Game of the Year edition drops on October 12th!Today Sony announced the release of a Game of the Year Edition of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, the sequel to Naughty Dog’s smash hit Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. I’m actually surprised this hasn’t been available for months already! Uncharted 2 is a truly incredible game, and it deserves more than just a Game of the Year edition, it deserves a Best Game Ever edition. I wouldn’t go that far actually, but it’s the best game this generation hands down.
What does this GOTY Edish hold for those of us who don’t already own this amazing game? According to the artwork, about $35 worth of DLC:
* PlayStation Heroes Skin Pack
* UNCHARTED: Drake’s Fortune Multiplayer Pack
* UNCHARTED 2 Siege Expansion Pack
* Currency Multiplier which grants Double XP up to level 10 in Multiplayer
* Golden Guns option for the AK-47 and the 92FS 9mm pistol for use in Multiplayer
* Early access to “Revenge” Booster – you still have to purchase it with in-game cash!
* UNCHARTED: Eye of Indra – Motion Comic Bundle (which includes Episodes 1-4)
* UNCHARTED: Eye of Indra – Rika Raja and Daniel Pinkerton Character Skins
* UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves – Avatar Pack 1
* UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves – Avatar Pack 2
* UNCHARTED Avatar Pack 3
* UNCHARTED Avatar Pack 4
* Pinball Heroes – UNCHARTED for the PSP
Honestly, this game is so good that a Game of the Year edition doesn’t need all this extra stuff, but it’s awesome that they’re throwing it in anyways. The retail price is $49.99, which is only a $10.00 drop from the original price, but you’re getting $35 worth of content, so you’re getting an incredible deal. If you don’t already have this game, run out and get it when the Game of the Year edition drops on October 12th!
MMA, EA’s answer to THQ’s UFC game franchise is now available to trial on the xbox live marketplace. Microsoft have confirmed the demo is available now for download now. Ironically, THQ owns the official license for the sport, meaning this is one of the sports which EA doesn’t own the official license to. If you decide to try it out, go ahead and let us know whether it’s up to their usual high-standards.
The new Borderlands Game Add-on: New Revolution now available on Xbox Live Marketplace. Priced at 800ms this sounds like fun in the sun with Ninja’s on Pandora. Read below for more details :
To combat second hand sales of used munitions among greedy, haggling treasure hunters on Pandora, the Hyperion Corporation have decided to activate the Interplanetary Ninja Assassin Claptrap. Instead, it has organized all of the claptraps into a revolution, and they’ve been assimilating all life on Pandora and converting them into claptraps. With our heroes caught in the middle, they must stop the Interplanetary Ninja Assassin Claptrap in order to release his control over all of Pandora’s claptraps and collect their reward, of course.
Gameloft have just released Real Soccer 2011 for the Apple iPhone. OPTIMIZED FOR iPHONE 4! High-definition graphics that fully utilize the iPhone 4 Retina display. Gameloft have stepped it up to an all-new playing field for the most realistic soccer experience on the iPhone. With new graphics and animations Real Soccer 2011 will impress new comers and long-time fans of the series.
Step up and see if you have what it takes to be a soccer superstar, just like David Villa featured on the front cover, Real Soccer 2011 is looking like its going to be the most exciting soccer simulation on the iPhone to date.
Sorry for not being very active everyone, I just got back from vacation, my good friend Dazz from The Spriters Resource recently visited the states and I got to show him and his girlfriend Charlie around the New York City area! Anyways, enough about my personal life, lets get to this latest piece of news.
According to IGN, the world’s most way past cool hedgehog’s latest game should be hitting your favorite platforms within the next two weeks! The iPhone/iPod Touch will be getting Sonic 4 on October 7th, the WiiWare shop will be getting it on October 11th for 1500 Wii Points, the PlayStation Store gets the game on October 12th for $14.99/£9.99/€12.99/AU$19.95, and finally Xbox Live Arcade gets it on October 13th for 1200 MS Points.
Who’s looking forward to the speedy blue hedgehog’s return to greatness? I hope we can call it that after it’s released!
SPARTA! The God of War: Ghost of Sparta demo is now available in the Playstation Store. Developed by the acclaimed Ready at Dawn studio, creators of God of War: Chains of Olympus and Daxter, Ghost of Sparta looks to be another quality title. Featuring bigger boss battles, new weapons, stunning visuals and an epic prequel story, it appears as though another triple A hit is on the way for the PSP. Although the demo has been available for PSN Plus members for awhile, this demo will be available for all members. Look for the full game on November 2, 2010. Keep out an eye out for various preorder bonus announcements as well.
Anime International Company, otherwise known as AIC, has reportedly been acquired by panchinko slot machine maker Oizumi. Oizumi has purchased nearly all of the shares in AIC and is currently holding 95% of their stocks at a price of nearly $6.3 million US. Fans of the AIC anime have become worried over this announcement but the overall feeling is that the reason for the purchase is that Oizumi has complete rights over any characters produced by the company over its history.
AIC which began on July 15th, 1982 was established by Toru Miura and holds a number of sub-studios that create various anime and material spread throughout Japan. This year alone they have produced the sequel, Strike Witches 2, and are currently producing Amagami SS. There are a number of anime produced in the past that are known worldwide for being extremely popular and have accumulated a large following over the past thirty years.
Those who do not know of panchinko, they are more or less slot-machines that use steel ball bearings as currency and are eventually turned into receiving prizes at the main desk. There has been a small showing of panchinko in video games such as Pokemon in the past. These gambling machines are extremely popular and there are entire parlors which tailor themselves towards this business alone.
