Cube Room Escape 2

Cube Room Escape 2 is another point and click type room escape by Room13. In this game, you try to escape the room by finding items and solving puzzles. Good luck and have fun!Play This Game

Read The Full Article:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/escapegames24/~3/GILUVk00xAI/cube-room-escape-2-wa
lkthrough.html

Add to del.icio.us

Digg this

Post to Furl

Add to reddit

Add to myYahoo!

Ninja Gaiden 3's Hero Mode lets you take it easy

In a surprising move, Team Ninja are adding a new, easier difficulty mode to Ryu Hayabusa's latest adventure, Ninja Gaiden 3. Players taking this route won't have to worry about dodging or blocking most attacks as Ryu will do it automatically. This is being done to allow players to experience the story without becoming frustrated by the difficulty, according to director Fumihiko Yasuda.

We really wanted to flesh out the story this time around, so we wanted people to enjoy that story and get used to the game as it is. In the past the games were really hardcore and we couldn't get the players to stay with us and complete the game.

Yasuda also talks about redefining Hayabusa and exploring the man under the mask. It certainly seems like the team is taking the franchise in a whole new direction with Itagaki no longer at the helm. Ninja Gaiden and Ninja Gaiden 2 remain two of my favorite action games but I honestly couldn't tell you a thing about the story. I can't imagine anyone playing these games for their narratives. However, this might change with the third game. It's certainly going to be interesting to see how these additions will affect the gameplay.

Fans of the previous games' challenging difficulty haven't been forgotten, though. Ninja Gaiden 3 will still have a "super hard" difficulty mode and will retain the hardcore aspect of the franchise. If Team Ninja does manage to create an interesting and memorable story and maintain the same level of polish, challenge and fun from the previous titles then I'll be ecstatic. Here's to hoping it doesn't end up schizophrenic.

Ninja Gaiden 3's 'Hero Mode'... [Joystiq]

Add to del.icio.us

Digg this

Post to Furl

Add to reddit

Add to myYahoo!

Relaxation: Secretly training

_{[Last week's Bloggers Wanted topic asked you to tell me how you use video games to relax. Today's blog is from StriderHoang, who lets out stress through the training modes of fighting games. If you want to participate in our Bloggers Wanted topic and see your own blog on the front page, take a look at our current prompt about TGS. -- JRo]}

Do you consider training mode a tedious reminder of how bad you are? Most people only hit training mode in order to sharpen their skill when it comes to a human opponent, whether it's online or offline. Multiplayer games, specifically fighting games and especially fighting games online, are a mixed bag when it comes to actual enjoyment. Objectively, the online matchmaking may work and you'll have lag-free games, but it means nothing if you play against three opponents in a row who use the same obnoxious zoning strategy. Fair and allowed? Of course. But any person who enjoys playing with raw power or grappler characters fear the match up that involves the character who can throw fireballs all day. I'll deal with it bro, but that doesn't mean I'll enjoy it.

But many times, I may end up spending hours in training mode, slapping around a helpless training dummy. And it's more than just practice to me.

There's a certain cathartic release when you get into training mode and execute combos, whether they're powerful and practical or flashy and unnecessary. And time only disappears faster if the combo is actually hard. I tell myself, “I'm not going to do anything else until I nail this link!”

3 hours later, I finally get the seemingly impossible link and I haven't had anything to eat. But at least I've figured out a new level 3 combo or a new tick throw set up that I hadn't realized before.

Did you know you can link SA1 after Hayate dash punch? Do you even know what I'm talking about? You would if you went into training mode!

Training mode for me is like a sandbox for fighting games. You have nearly all the tools you could want at your disposal like infinite meter or the ability to change your dummy's state (standing, crouching, jumping, forced counter hit) and a clean canvas in the form of a dummy. I wonder if I can link into ultra in the corner? If I can, is it more worthwhile than perhaps fishing for a counter hit or a hit confirm from midscreen? What happens if call for an assist after the attack? Before the attack? Is this combo safe on block? If I have frame advantage, can I exploit it for a tick throw?

In a game as lenient as Marvel vs. Capcom 3, training mode can mean casually exploring new teams and new combos with different approaches to combat, both direct and gimmicky.

It also means practicing your anti-Phoenix strategies.

In a game as strict as 3rd Strike, training mode can mean exploring what sort of fun moves you can use to punish the plethora of unsafe attacks that are present in the game. Unlike Street Fighter IV, a lot of sweeps in 3rd Strike are really unsafe. So how far exactly can I take my punish? Can I use my own sweep? Maybe a strong special attack? But wait, isn't my super art fast enough to reversal and punish?

Take it a step further in a game as complicated as BlazBlue. Jin Kisaragi can freeze his opponents in ice and can refreeze them mid-combo for 25% meter. BlazBlue also encourages counter hit combos with their distinct announcer. There are tons of variations on even Jin's most basic combos depending on how you start the combo, when you use his freeze attacks, and if you decide to spend meter to extend it. Imagine mathematical formulas that go as simple as [freeze, launcher, and knockdown], to something as complicated as [counter hit, launcher, freeze, knockdown, refreeze, and super] (to put it mildly, for those of you not into arcade notation).

Yes, he does say freeze in his English voice when doing certain attacks.

This level of casual, undisturbed exploration with no distractions is what I find relaxing for hours. I may boot up 3rd Strike at midnight just to enter training mode to wind down my day without ever touching the online player matches. “I want to practice my execution before going to bed.” I just want to satisfy a simple goal for myself before clocking out.

There is of course an incredible rush of adrenaline when the combo or mix-up you've practiced for hours works against an actual, breathing opponent in an actual match that will reflect on your records somewhere, no doubt about it.

But training mode to me is like reading a book for you or tuning out on television. My brain just sort of goes on sleep mode and I can relax while mindlessly exploring the possibilities of maybe Taskmaster's f.C, Jin's refreeze corner combos, or what exactly I can do after Makoto's Abare Tosanami.

Just let go of today's stress and smack around Iori.

Add to del.icio.us

Digg this

Post to Furl

Add to reddit

Add to myYahoo!

Extended Resident Evil Revelations TGS trailer
intrigues

video details and more

Capcom has posted the extended Tokyo Game Show trailer for Resident Evil Revelations, and you can be sure that it's fun for the whole family.

Rachel has been loathed by many fans, and liked by others. I'll admit, there's something about her hair that's strangely irritating, but I've got nothing against her. Not that it really matters, though -- just watch this video to see what I mean. By the way, who is that in the background at 2:55?

Add to del.icio.us

Digg this

Post to Furl

Add to reddit

Add to myYahoo!

Frogger Pinball Preview (iPhone, iPad, Facebook)

As anyone who?s ever played Metroid Prime Pinball on the Nintendo DS will tell you, combining popular mascots and pinball can sometimes lead to outstanding results. Konami is hoping they can strike similar gold with the upcoming Frogger Pinball for Facebook and iOS devices, the last of three new games celebrating Frogger?s 30th anniversary. But can Frogger Pinball wow us as well as Frogger Decades did?

Add to del.icio.us

Digg this

Post to Furl

Add to reddit

Add to myYahoo!

Free EDGE DLC incoming including new race mode

One of the biggest love/hate elements from this generation of consoles is downloadable content. Some DLC is good (song packs for Rock Band or full-blown expansions in the Fallout games) and some of it is bad, (unlocking things already on a disc or pre-order trinkets made up to entice gamers to pay early). However, free DLC is rarely bad.

EDGE developer Two Tribes has announced a big DLC add-on coming on September 28th to the Steam version of its iOS puzzle/platform title. Included in the update are 40 brand new levels, which is a crazy update as the original version of EDGE had 40 standard levels in it at first, with another 8 unlocked at the end of the game. That's almost doubling the content!

Also included is a new mode where gamers will race the "notorious" dark cube. As someone who really enjoyed EDGE, this is great news. Free DLC is hard to turn down and when it's going to be a glut of new levels and a whole new mode, it's going to be hard to not fire EDGE up again and keep playing. 

Add to del.icio.us

Digg this

Post to Furl

Add to reddit

Add to myYahoo!

Official Battlefield 3 PC requirements released

The official PC requirements for Battlefield 3 were finally posted today!

Minimum System Requirements
OS: Windows Vista (Service Pack 2) 32-Bit
Processor: 2 GHz Dual Core (Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHZ or Althon X2 2.7 GHz)
Memory: 2 GB
Hard Drive: 20 GB
Graphics Card (AMD): DirectX 10.1 compatible with 512 MB RAM (ATI RADEON 3000, 4000, 5000 OR 6000 series, with ATI RADEON 3870 or higher performance)
Graphics Card (NVIDIA): DirectX 10.0 compatible with 512 MB RAM (NVIDIA GEFORCE 8, 9, 200, 300, 400 OR 500 series with NVIDIA GEFORCE 8800 GT or higher performance)
Sound card: DirectX compatible
Keyboard and Mouse
DVD ROM Drive

Recommended System Requirements
OS: Windows 7 64-Bit
Processor: Quad-Core CPU
Memory: 4 GB
Hard Drive: 20 GB
Graphics Card: DirectX 11 compatible with 1024 MB RAM (NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 560 or ATI RADEON 6950)
Sound Card: DirectX compatible
Keyboard and Mouse
DVD ROM Drive

In case you missed the memo, the beta begins September 29th, and the game is set for release on October 25. Here's the link for the beta site, and you can pre-order your copy of Battlefield 3 here.

Add to del.icio.us

Digg this

Post to Furl

Add to reddit

Add to myYahoo!

Online passes are not necessarily bad for
everyone

Earlier this week, our very own Jim Sterling railed against the continued use of multiplayer online passes by game publishers in his Jimquisition series, stating that online passes are "bad for everyone." He makes a very compelling argument and while I don't agree entirely with all of his points, I do believe in his assertion that publishers are using it as a tool to squeeze the used games market in a manner that could be detrimental to their larger business of making and selling games over the long term.

Bad for everyone? Not quite. In fact, from where I'm sitting, this online pass thing could wind up being a pretty sweet deal for a class of gamer who has already been hurt significantly by the rise of online multiplayer gaming: the single-player.

I am a single-player. I like the occasional multiplayer game, but I don't play more than a few of them a year. I'm a little selective in my choices, preferring to play top-tier, multiplayer-focused titles when I do decide to go online. I lack skills in certain types of games and I'm not particularly competitive unless I feel I have a decent shot at success. While I do enjoy the occasional co-operative game, I'm less interested in playing those games over the Internet than I am on a couch. And, frankly, I'd much rather immerse myself in the experience of a game without the distraction of other people. I know I'm not alone.

As the multiplayer gaming market grew, fans of single-player experiences have had to watch one tacked-on multiplayer mode after another be added to games which would have previously focused entirely on the solo campaign. And who could blame the industry? They were only pursuing larger audiences and greater profits, the very reason for their existence. Nevertheless, a solo player in an increasingly massive multiplayer world, I felt a little left out in the cold as I continued to buy games in which a large portion of the content was of no interest to me whatsoever.

And that's the beauty of the online pass for the single-player. While the multiplayer audience will perceive this as having something taken from them -- in this case, free online gaming for those who buy from the used market -- I can view this as instead being given something. We're being given a choice as to whether or not we want the multiplayer content to be part of our experience at all.

It seems like a foregone conclusion that used game sellers will have to lower prices to accommodate for the increased burden on the consumer. If the industry decides to pursue the online pass as a permanent part of the gaming landscape, they'll likely have no choice in the matter. Those consumers who want to buy used and have no need of online play will benefit from the reduced pricing of used games. 

Jim asserts that online passes will devalue used games when retailers pass the buck for the new price drops on to folks trading their copies in. It's a valid concern, but the used games market is a very different place than it was just a few years ago. Big fish with lots of revenue streams outside of gaming such as Best Buy and Amazon have been making competitive moves to take their piece of the pie. Services like Goozex are growing in popularity as well. That competition will probably make it hard for a dramatic adjustment of trade-in value, as it only opens the door for one of the retailers to begin enticing customers with newfound wiggle room in their offering prices.

If you're the industry's favorite type of consumer, the one who always buys new, you can still benefit here. The very existence of the online pass makes it a commodity ideal for the secondary market. We have long seen swift trade in DLC codes online. Why should the online pass be any different? I'd be perfectly happy to get 70 or 80 cents on the dollar for a code I have no desire to use and I'm sure the money-conscious used gamer wouldn't mind saving a couple of bucks on their multiplayer modes.

I won't defend online passes. I hate entering them in. I despise the way their very existence reminds me of how little control we actually have over the use of these products we lay down cash money for. You know what I see when I think about what online passes are to the business of games? A guy holding his left arm in his right hand and using it to hit himself in the face.

But it isn't all bad all the time. For gamers who don't want to hop online (and perhaps some savvy multiplayer fans), there's even a little bit of money to be saved on the purchasing end. Even the darkest clouds still have silver linings.

Add to del.icio.us

Digg this

Post to Furl

Add to reddit

Add to myYahoo!

Live show: More Gears 3 on Mash Tactics

video details and more

[Not sure what Mash Tactics is? I've included a clip from the most recent episode to show you just a glimpse of what you've been missing, you daft fool! You can see all of Destructoid's previously-aired live shows in our archives.]

Today, Mash Tactics is playing Gears of War 3 again! This time, we can explore a lot more of the game, but we still won't be spoiling any of the juicy plot developments. You will also get the chance jump online and take a Lancer to Carnage and Pico up close.

Mash Tactics airs Monday through Friday at 4pm Pacific. Watch Jon Carnage and Pico Mause let loose with off-the-wall humor and discuss the issues of the day in the live chat on Destructoid's Twitch.tv channel. Also, there are videogames being played. Join us for your chance to win prizes, talk to industry guests, and witness all of the glorious antics.

video details and more

video details and more

Add to del.icio.us

Digg this

Post to Furl

Add to reddit

Add to myYahoo!

Diablo III closed beta is underway now!

If you're in the mood for early access to some of 2011's hottest games, then today's your lucky day; not only was the Battlefield 3 beta announced for September 29th, but Blizzard has revealed that the Diablo III closed beta is available, right now! With Diablo III still to be confirmed for release in 2011, this could be the closest players get to Blizzard's long-awaited sequel.

A statement released by the developer today says, players will be able to play through the entire first act of the game as any of the five announced classes. The act concludes with a battle against the Skull King, who I presume is the King of the little known Skull region. Or the King of skeletons, it's not really clear. The beta is available to play either by yourself or with online co-op, so it's time to start eying up your Battle.net friends list to see who you want as your teammate. 

Unfortunately, there's no update on a firm release date in the statement and it's not clear if the controversial auction house will be accessible to players in the beta, but this is still exciting news. Any members of the lovely Destructoid community got a beta invite? Already started playing? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Add to del.icio.us

Digg this

Post to Furl

Add to reddit

Add to myYahoo!