Millennium 4: Beyond Sunset Preview (PC)

post from Gamezebo: Casual Game Reviews, Previews, Cheats, Tips, Forums, Free Games, and More on 07 June 2011 11:49:43 PM. © Gamezebo: Casual Game Reviews, Previews, Cheats, Tips, Forums, Free Games, and More

The fourth episode in the Millennium RPG saga is nearing completion, and Aldorlea Games sent us a preview. Read on to learn about what you have to look forward to in Millennium 4: Beyond Sunset.

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F1 2011 - Hands On

post from Gaming Nexus on 07 June 2011 11:34:00 PM. © Gaming Nexus

by: Sean Nack
NEWS - F1 2011 is a speedy, shiny new racing sim.

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http://www.gamingnexus.com/FullNews/F1-2011---Hands-On/Item23026.aspx

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E3: 2011 F1 2011 (Hands On)

post from Gaming Nexus on 07 June 2011 11:34:00 PM. © Gaming Nexus

by: Sean Nack
NEWS - Game: F1 2011
Developer: Codemasters
Release Window/Date: Summer 2011 for 360, PS3, and PC
What's polished: Visuals, Handling, Career Mode.
What needs polish: The Race Engineer performs many of the functions of a traditional racing HUD, but I didn't hear him once. I could've used some more information.

Hot on the heels (wheels?) of their hit racing sim F1 2010, Codemasters is stepping up the pace with improved visuals and simulation mechanics in F1 2011.

Trying to keep up with the growth of the actual sport, Codemasters has added two new tracks, which matches the real-life total of 20, and much-clamored-for features like 2-player splitscreen gameplay and a co-operative championship mode, wherein two players race for the same team, working together for the sake of the team rankings but still competing for the Drivers' Cup. Online multiplayer now supports a full grid of racers, a total of 16 players and 8 AI opponents.

New gameplay mechanics include reactive damage, a more realistic damage system that responds to the way the player is driving the car: if you run third gear a little too hard a little too often, it might fail and force a pit stop; run off the track too often and you might lose a tire or a fairing. Not only does it add to the realism, it forces the player to really think about the way they're driving. Realistic tire degradation is also a factor, slowly degrading your performance on the track and playing a major role in race strategy.

Visual updates include a far more detailed set of tracks, garages, and character models, including more than 100 different heads for crew members and spectators. The primary adjective in my mind when I think about F1 is "shiny." Not just in the equivalent word for "cool" Firefly sense, but in the sense that everything seems to have a sheen; colors are bright, vibrant, and usually zipping on by.

How does it drive? Quick confession, GN-ers, I'm not much for racing simulators. I prefer an arcade racing experience over fiddling with tire treads, but the precise handling of F1 might win me over. A big plus for me was the "driving line," an optional pathway that changes colors based on the player's approach speed, green for go, yellow for "hey, maybe you might want to break a little," and red for "SLOW DOWN, FOR ALL THAT'S HOLY!" Even with the assist, I had a hard time staying on course. The lesson I learned? F1 2011 is such a good racing sim, it out-drove me.

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E3: Uncharted 3 Co-op

post from The Escapist : Latest News on 07 June 2011 11:27:00 PM. © The Escapist : Latest News

Uncharted 3 turns co-op into a narrative-focused adventure, filled with customization.

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Oblivion 5th Anniversary Edition prepares you for
Skyrim

post from Destructoid on 07 June 2011 11:05:25 PM. © Destructoid

Oblivion 5th Anniversary Edition prepares you for Skyrim screenshot

If you've never played Oblivion and still want to, but never really got around to picking it up with all the DLC, then here is your chance. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion 5th Anniversary Edition is coming to PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 in North America on July 12th, 2011.

The collection includes the Knights of the Nine and Shivering Isles DLC, a Collector's Steelbook littered with Daedric symbols, a "Making of Oblivion" documentary, a full color map of Cyrodiil and the Shivering Isles, and a $10 mail-in rebate offer for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and a strategy guide for Skyrim.

The full collection will be $29.99 and does not contain horse armor. A missed opportunity.

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E3: The Rolling Western is Nintendo's token WTF
game

post from Destructoid on 07 June 2011 11:05:25 PM. © Destructoid

E3: The Rolling Western is Nintendo's token WTF game screenshot

Can't see the video? Click here

Have you seen this curious game? It appears to be a throwback to the many forgotten, ill-fated platformer mascots of the '90s, which I'm not opposed to.

If having an armadillo as a leading man in 2011 seems odd, you aren't alone in thinking so. The Rolling Western is skipping retail, instead opting for a much more fitting eShop release. Very little to go on at this point, but I must say, that music is happening.

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E3: Double Fine's Once Upon a Monster is my happy
song

post from Destructoid on 07 June 2011 11:05:25 PM. © Destructoid

E3: Double Fine's Once Upon a Monster is my happy song screenshot

Double Fine founder Tim Schafer sees quite a few similarities between Children's Television Workshop, the folks responsible for Sesame Street, and his own studio.

At Double Fine, says Schafer, the goal is always to try something new, to reach a new audience, and to push the boundaries of the medium of games. Forty years ago, CTW did the same thing when it launched Sesame Street, changing the landscape of children's television and education for ever. That's why the upcoming Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster makes more sense than you might think for a studio whose last retail title was Brütal Legend, a mature title influenced by the world of heavy metal.

I had a chance to see a new chapter of the game's living story book, "The Garden of Weedin'," recently. As a parent of a toddler who's been watching Sesame Street religiously as of late, I'm more excited for this colorful Kinect-exclusive than a grown man has any right to be.

We've previewed Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster before, so I'll just give you the high-level overview of what it's all about. It's a story book brought to life, where two players enter a magical world of good-natured monsters, each of which is struck with a little problem. Using Kinect, players engage in a series of what are essentially mini-games as they assist the friendly creatures with their plight.

In "Garden of Weedin," we meet a brand new monster named Shelby. The normally cheerful Shelby loves gardening, growing, and all things nature, but now she's sad: her garden is ruined. It's being overrun by weeds, and her beautiful, once colorful garden is now trashed. Wait, did someone say "trash"? Enter Sesame Street's own connoisseur of junk Oscar the Grouch.

"What a beautiful disaster," says Oscar, "yucky muddy mud everywhere! And look at all that trash. This is the worst garden I've ever seen… I love it!"

Cookie Monster and Elmo, who the players will be playing as, have an idea: help clean the garden, and let Oscar keep all the trash. "It win-win situation," growls Cookie Monster, as Shelby claps cheerfully.

The story was broken up into a few mini-games, the first of which involved tossing pieces of trash into cans. It starts off relatively easy, easing players into the basics of the movements. Later, the trash becomes color coded, and you'll have to match the garbage balls with the like-colored receptacle. Later in the chapter, players flapped their arms to make Cookie Monster and Elmo (who were wearing bee suits, of course) fly up the tallest plan in the garden. The final section involved "tuning" flowers to sing along with "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Start" by standing up or squatting down to move the pitch higher or lower.

In all cases, the games were simple and fun on a basic level, which is exactly what you'd expect from a game designed for parents to play with kids between the ages of four- and six-years old. To keep things interesting for players of all ages, Double Fine has implemented an adaptive difficult system into the title. If the game notes you're doing particularly well, it might make the games for that player more challenging. The Kinect sensor is even being used to determine approximate age based on height, modifying gameplay behind-the-scenes to match.

But while I was never challenged or particularly blown away by the in-game activities, Once Upon a Monster truly makes up for it in all of the other ways that count. It's adorable beyond words, with such colorful designs, amusing monster dialogue, and activities that I couldn't help but smile while playing. As it turns out, that feeling of elation was key in the game's development.

"The original codename for Once Upon a Monster was 'Happy Song'," explained project lead Nathan Marz. "This is a game that I just wanted when you looked at it and play it it, I wanted you to feel as happy as when you hear your favorite song on the radio.

"This is about an intentionally uplifting and positive experience for families, not another game about guys who say 'Delta!' and shoot people in the face," he says.

I look forward to singing this happy song with my little daughter this fall, when Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster hits shelves.

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E3: Witcher: Rise of the White Wolf "Still in
the Fridge"

Sorry Witcher fans, Rise of the White Wolf is not at E3.

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http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/110798-E3-Witcher-Rise-of-the-White-Wol
f-Still-in-the-Fridge

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Pixel Art: Mite

A pixel paintings inspired by Chinese art.

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http://8bitcity.blogspot.com/2011/06/pixel-art-mite-and-dragonfly.html

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E3: Zombie Apocalypse 2 headed to PSN and XBLA
this fall

E3: Zombie Apocalypse 2 headed to PSN and XBLA this fall screenshot

Backbone Entertainment is releasing a sequel to Nihilistic Software's twin-stick shooter Zombie Apocalypse this fall on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network.

Once again you'll be controlling one of four heroes, who runs around with one stick while shooting zombies with the other stick. A new squad mechanic has been added that gives you full control of each team member, whether you are playing solo or cooperatively. You'll also be able to swap team members' weapons and powers as part of the "innovative class-based action."

I never played the previous game, but apparently it was "just ok." Let's hope the sequel is a bit more than that, although so far I've yet to see anything that really sets it apart.

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