Developer: Rebellion Developments. Publisher: SEGA. Platform(s): Xbox 360 (reviewed) PC & PS3. Release Date(s): Feb 16th 2010 (US), Feb 19th 2010 (Europe). Reviewer: Graham.
[Note:Pre-reading apologies for length of the review – there’s just so much stuff to try and fit in!]
It's been over ten years since Rebellion last sent gamers into the magical world of Aliens vs Predator. Their previous two games were critically acclaimed and pretty much deemed to be among the best FPS titles around at the time.
But it's 2010 now, the gaming world is flooded with FPS games; some great and some very poor. Now that the FPS genre seems to have found a steady foothold in the market, where will the new AvP lie?
With GDC going on this past week (and our own extensive coverage taking place), it's easy to see how some of the smaller news can go unnoticed amongst the flood of big announcements. Never fear the Kartel is still looking out for you once again with the best news from around the net you may have missed.
Gamers thrive on a good two-man fight. Xbox or PS2? PSP or DS? Every generation throws a hero down the unpop charts. And one fight with a clear winner, right out the gate, was the 8-bit battle between the chunky little NES and the big-padded underdog, the Sega Master System. Could there be an alternate reality where the Master System came out on top? Where playground battles were fought not over whether Mario's Tanooki Suit was better than Link's Master Sword, but over the best way to save all the hostages in Rescue Mission? As a matter of fact there was. I know because I'm from that reality. And I'm here to tell you that the Sega Master System never got its due. In fact, let's say it: the Sega Master System is the most underrated machine in the history of gaming.
It's weird though, why would they reboot a movie series when the last entry (spiderman 3) was the top grossing superhero movie prior to Dark knight. Hmm.Spiderman 3 grossed decent numbers but compared to the previous two movies with the exception of
Mass Effect - Bring Down the SkyI really liked this one cause it added what was sorely missing from ME universe. The Batarians were in the first book so I was wondering where they were in the game.Fallout 3 - Mothership Zeta and Broken SteelIt was ju
Alan Wake and Crysis 2 would like a word with you.I'm not impressed with Alan Wake. Crysis 2, though i forgot about that poor fellow. He's on par with GOWIIIHeavy Rain wants a word too. :PNO. Horrible textures and emotions in the game.lol. ok. If you
It's easy to see why many people are anticipating the release of Mafia II this Fall. The Kartel was lucky enough to attend a promo event and experience a hands-on demo. Mafia II, although still being polished is already exhibiting impressive graphics, engaging storyline, and unique gameplay features. 2K is dead set on trying to elevate Mafia II above the moniker of being a historic twist on GTA. Set throughout the 40's and 50's this game offers explosive action, a free-roam city, and collectable Playboy magazines (Yes, they have actually included photos).
With much of the krew off at GDC, I'm left to hold down the fort. They keep telling me about the chest full of swag they are collecting for giveaways, so I went ahead and created a new item, the GDC Bag of Junk giveaway. It's filled with, well, tons of junk. T-shirts, pens, balls, toys, and all sorts of fun stuff. Getting this is almost as good as going to GDC.
And because of all the coverage of Civilization V at the show, I put up a copy of Civ IV. Can you believe the game scored a 94% on Metacritic?
Some people might think that interest in music games have peaked. Many "band" games are just focusing more on content and gameplay rather than peripheral innovation, which initially made the mystique of guitar controllers exciting in the beginning. Don't fret (pun intended). Boston-based developer and publisher Seven 45 Studios has unveiled a real guitar as the controller for their upcoming PowerGig: Rise of the SixString video game for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and we recently had the opportunity to check out the game and peripheral in a closed doors meeting this week at GDC.
Happy March from the Kartel! As our site continues to grow, we know all you avid bloggers out there are hungry for some sweet swag. Well it's time for more highlights found while perusing the Kartel community blogs, andfor some well earned $Karma points to spend as you wish!
Those selected for a highlight shall receive 5 $Karma points, congrats! Remember, the best way to get chosen for this list next time around is to make sure you followThe Godfather's 10 Golden Tips and FAQs for Blogging.
If you’re a fan of women in short skirts and uniforms, beer, rockabilly, Betty bangs, punk, contact sports, Ska, or anything in between then you’re in for a treat. I’m referring to the B.A.D. girl’s roller derby league, Bay Area Derby Girls, whose season just kicked off. I had the pleasure of attending the season five opening bout. Now, roller derbies is something I highly recommend to all.
Not sure what roller derby is all about? Well it’s not just a sporting event, it’s an experience.
The Kartel crew is here at the 2010 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco once again and we've got some interesting stories to tell! GDC 2010 is as rampant and engaging as ever, especially with the immense popularity of social media games and innovative gaming peripherals. Get your coverage here!
On Wednesday at GDC, the Kartel was treated to a preview of Civilization V by Firaxis. The successor to the legendary series is still in its pre-alpha stage, but already has made creative improvements in the right places and introduces some exciting new concepts of its own.
If you've ever watched the TV show Man v. Food, you know that food challenges are both insane and incredibly entertaining. After watching the nearby "San Jose, California" episode of Man v. Food, we were inspired to find some food challenges for ourselves to conquer! We heard of a new food challenge that had sprung up, a 4 pound sushi challenge. Needless to say, for the sake of entertainment and checking out a hip new restaurant in San Francisco, we quickly made a reservation. Good lord we had no idea what we were getting into
The most controversial high score in all of videogames is no more. Billy Mitchell, Massachusetts hotsauce entrepeneur and gaming personality, held the record for the highest Donkey Kong score ever - 874,300 points - which he set in 1983. The documentary film The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters documented Washington algebra teacher Steve Wiebe's attempts to best this score. However it was not Wiebe but New York plastic surgeon Hank Chien who finally toppled Mitchell's reign, with a score of 1,061,700, as reported by UPI.
EA Sports held their season opener last night at the classy Press Club of San Francisco and showcased several upcoming games in their line up. The games include Tiger Woods PGA Tour '11, FIFA World Cup 2011, and EA MMA. EA came out swinging this year, emphasizing their new "data-driven design" approach. Basically what that means is that they are now focus more on fan feedback and using that to help shape the sports games they make. Let's take a look at what they mean.
It's amazing how quickly an online gaming match can turn the most avid and go lucky of gamers, into a seething mass of anger. However much a game may rock and receive high praises from the critics there are still variables associated with the game that might turn many players off. I’m referring to our gaming peers. More often than anyone would like, we encounter players online that absolutely ruin your gaming session and as a result many players refuse to go online and play their favorite titles. I personally know several people who refuse to have their gaming experience ruined by some jerk online. If you are an online gamer, I guarantee that you have run into one of these issues at one time or another.
The Kartel was recently invited to take a look at the newest installment in the True Crime series. Although the graphics and gameplay were enticing, the most memorable part of the evening were the exotic dancers. Here are some photos of the most tantalizing moves these girls had.
