We all know the premise of the game...  Dr. Doom has formed the new and improved team of super villains called the "Masters of Evil."  Like all team of uber bad guys, this group is no different in they are out for world domination or some other evil holy grail.  I personally kept waiting to hear "one million dollars."  They launch an attack on Col. Nick Fury's S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier, and four superheroes answer the call to arms.....

 

Wolverine, Thor, Captain American, and Spider-Man show up to save the day.  Joy!  Rapture!  Divinity!  Ok, so I was letting my inner child out.  I could not help but remember all the sick days in elementary school I got to stay home and read my favorite comic books while eating chicken noodle soup.

 

I knew I would enjoy this game.  However, I did not realize how the more I played the more enjoyable it would become.  It is like video crack, reminiscent of the first time you picked up Halo or civilizations.  No the graphics are not the best during dialog with other characters during game play.  I am a little disappointed at the hokey effort, it's very 1990's NES at best.  The action and game play are great.  The 3rd person and 360 degrees rotation around the board are excellent.  For those who are looking at Gears as the defector standard, you will be disappointed.  Gears is in a different class altogether, but you know this already.

 

So get your favorite Marvel super heroes out, and build your own team - mine are the "Freedom Fighters."  No more sitting on the sidelines stating how if your ran a team of super heroes you'd fight them better.  Ok hot shot.  Put your money where your mouth is and suit up.

 

At least there's no spandex chafing here.....

I received an email from Xbox dictating that all applicants that have been chosen will receive notification over the next few days. Those who are not chosen will have two last opportunities: The Rule of Three or Crackdown invitation. I have enclosed a copy of the email

"The PS3 is a total disaster on so many levels, I think It’s really clear that Sony lost track of what customers and what developers wanted," Newell told Game Informer magazine. "I’d say, even at this late date, they should just cancel it and do a ‘do over’. Just say, ‘This was a horrible disaster and we’re sorry and we’re going to stop selling this and stop trying to convince people to develop for it.’"

"I’m betting that by Christmas of next year, the Wii has a larger installed base than the 360. Other people think I’m crazy. I really like everything that Nintendo is doing."

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According to the latest issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly, the upcoming adaptation of Half Life 2 for Xbox 360 and PS3 has been renamed Half Life 2: Orange. Valve’s HL2: O will include Half Life 2, Episodes One and Two, Team Fortress, and Portal. To me this package seems like a must buy, but isn’t the title a little “fruity”?

"The strength of Nintendo on the portable space has been very impressive and surprised a lot of people; and the strength of the Wii; and we see Nintendo as the toughest competition," said Gates.

Sony will need to find a way to step up, if they want to be a major player in the "console war".

Epic releases their first set of downloadable content for gears of war, including the new multiplayer maps Raven Down and Old Bones.

Also a multiplayer update was released insating the following changes:

1)HOST NAME REMOVED FROM RANKED MATCHES
2)NO MORE DISTANT TAGGING
3)PENALTY FOR QUITTING GAMES (50PTS)
4)COUNTDOWN FREEZES FIXED!
5)NO MORE PLAYER FREEZING AFTER CHAINSAW

The retailer experienced over a 29% increase in holiday sales this year moving over 1.9 billion over the past nine weeks. "I am particularly pleased with the robust sales of hardware systems, even in the face of ongoing shortages of PlayStation 3 and Wii," remarked CEO R. Richard Fontaine. "The diversity of the desired products made this a real game specialist's holiday," he continued.  "We have never had a holiday season with more hardware choices or more accessory options, and perhaps what is more encouraging is that we are seeing a broader base of customers enjoying the gaming experience than ever before," commented Fontaine.The top five games by sales were Gears of War, Final Fantasy XII, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Guitar Hero 2 and WWE Smackdown Vs. RAW

Publisher: Microsoft

Developed by Silicon Knights
Genre: Adventure
Number of Players:1 
Release Date: Expected: Q2 2007
US: TBD
Europe: TBD

Rated: Pending

Includes: 16:9 Support, 720p/1080i Support, Dolby Digital 5.1, Xbox Live, Memory Unit, Custom Soundtrack, Downloadable Content 
 

 

 

Plot overview:
 As the Cybernetic God Baldur, players are thrust into the midst of an ongoing battle that threatens the existence of mankind. An ancient machine presence has forced the God's hand. In the first of a three part trilogy, Baldur is charged with defending mankind from an onslaught of monstrous war machines bent on eradication of human life. Players are treated to a nonstop barrage of action powered by the seamless integration of melee and ranged firearms combat. Battles unfold in awesome scale as players engage in spectacular battles with vast numbers of enemies.

Features –

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Synergy of melee and firearms combat: It takes more than brawn and raw strength to supplant the machine hordes. Utilize a sophisticated blend of seamless melee and firearms combat to vanquish foes close and far. Feel each punishing blow through advanced visual effects.

Advanced cinematic presentation: Characters and environments come to life with unparalleled visual fidelity. Experience the full excitement of combat through a dynamically driven presentation system that portrays the combat with cinematic quality. A sweeping orchestral score sets the mood for heartbreak, anger and bloodlust as each tune encapsulates you within the immersive gaming environment.

Intuitive combat provides new level of accessibility: Perform Baldur’s elaborate and complex combat maneuvers through the press of a button and chain together rapid-fire combos with ease. Through the use of an intuitive combat system, Too Human provides game play that is easy to learn and rewarding to master and introduces combinations of weapons combat on a level that exceeds the bar previously set by some fighting games.

Modern take on a classic story: The story chronicles the ongoing struggle between Cybernetic gods, machine giants and mortal men on a massive scale never before seen. Play the role of a cybernetic god charged with protecting the human race against a relentless onslaught of machines.

 

 

 

Some FAQ’s

 

What engine does this run on?

Too human uses the Unreal 3.0 engine which is the best next-generation solution out there; with tools that allow developers to rapidly prototype and solutions that help keep teams a manageable size. You can learn more about it at http://www.unrealtechnology.com.

 

I heard about a CPU controlled Camera. Can you explain that?

Helping to create additional Hollywood-style moments in Too Human is a camera system that has been put solely in the hands of – surprise - the CPU. Bucking the trend of user-controlled cameras is a completely hands-off system that Silicon Knights claims helps keep the gamers focused on the task of enjoying the action. A CPU-controlled camera also allows for zoom settings that work to emphasize exciting combat moments. For example, we found the camera zooming extremely tight in dynamic situations, without affecting our ability to control the player character. We also noticed moments from the demo that harkens back to coin-op side-scrollers, with the PC being controlled from a wide-angle viewpoint.

 

What will the analog stick be used for then?

In place of one of the analog sticks controlling the camera, players will control Baldur's direction of movement and, strangely enough, attacks. By pressing forward, back, and to the sides on the right analog stick, different attacks can be performed that correspond to the direction. It was simple enough to control, but quickly became more complicated as Silicon Knights explained some of the combination maneuvers. For instance, double-tapping in a direction launches enemies into the air, combining attack directions with movement directions performs a wide variety of moves, and you can combine jumping and shooting your firearms into the mix.

What Type of Weapons?

You will be able to use dual pistol, staffs, mass driver guns, sticks, akimbo swords, maces, and shields and more.

 

The game is trying to keep a cinematic feel, will there be a HUD? If not, how will that affect game play?

On example of how they are avoiding it is the super attacks. After dispatching a certain number of foes, these moves will become available for use. When these moves become available, your weapon will glow a distinct color, either red, yellow, or blue, which corresponds to the Y, B, and X button colors. This feeds into Too Human's goal of letting gamers play without the interference of a HUD.

The highly acclaimed Guitar Hero II will be coming to the 360. Images released by RedOctane were released earlier this week. This game should appeal to all ages, whether your just and air guitar wannabe rocker or someone who actually has some guitar skill.

The first full length oblivion expansion expected to be released Q2 of 2007. Apparently, this will open gamers up to a new realm known as the Shivering Isles, where they will be faced with Sheogorath, god of madness and dementia. According to PC Zone, the expansion will introduce players to new quests and monsters. The other big twist is that player’s decisions will in turn transform the shivering Isles. This will be released for Pc and is expected for Xbox 360 as well.

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I figured I would do an official post on this. Gamefly is offering the chance to win some great prizes over at the site http://www.gamegurugiveaway.com/ . All you need to do is answer some very basic questions or solve a basic puzzle. If you can tell the difference between mario and Donkey kong, you can answer most of these questions. Plus with a lttle help from the Steeplemedia Xbox bloggers, it should be as easy as clicking the right choice.