Story: Fresh off escaping from a prison, the heroes of the first game meet up in Shanghai and chase Brady, an informant, through the streets and rooftops. Ultimately ending the dash in a corner, and getting into a firefight, killing Brady’s girlfriend.  As the two prepare for their next job, a shipment to Africa, they get attacked by Brady’s men, and Brady exacts his own vengence upon the two. The plot of the game is to make Brady pay!

Gameplay: You play most of the game, except for the last chapter, as Lynch. The game is a 3rd person shooter in the Gears of War engine.  The mechanics are the same as most games in the genre.  There is unlimited run.  The ammo is plentiful. Some points in the higher difficulties seem unbearable but can be surpassed. Nothing really too much to say, just another Shooter.

Sound/Graphics: The game looks like it was through the eyes of a camera man.  Filming on a tv show or the like,  complete with censored nudity, bloody deaths, and the like. As you get shot, the game  splatters blood across the screen until it is red. Like normal, if you get into cover, the screen returns to normal.   Both of the actors who play the main characters are back, Brian Bloom as Kane, Jairon Monroe as Lynch.  A lot of realism in the sounds to the game, from dogs barking to airplane engines. If you have the steady cam  turned off you might experience some sickness, but others might not.

Multiplayer: There are 3 different types of multiplayer games in this game.  Arcade, Co-Op, Cops and Robbers, and Undercover Cop all of which can be played over Live or Split-screen.  Arcade mode is just straight up “Fragile Alliance”, the point of the game is to get into where the goal is, steal the money, and get out of there in 4 minutes. During the whole time, from the second someone tries to loot the money, until the time you hop into the getaway car you can do the mission 2 different ways, cleanly or crookedly.  You can just steal the money and run to the exit, clearing enemies when needed, or you can also shoot your partners, steal their money, and getaway.  Undercover cop is the same way, though a random player is chosen to foil the heist. Cops and Robbers is basically an attack and defend match with the same premise of Fragile Alliance.

Pros:

• its a fun game, the modes are great
• great storyline
• crisp clean gameplay

Cons:

• male nudity!
• extremely hard on harder difficulties
• Steady cam gets dizzying if off

Overall, its a great game with a great storyline. Kind of family friendly since it has censored body parts and kills. I would recommend it.

8/10

A World of Keflings is going to make it’s public debut at PAX this weekend. In preparation for unveiling the game we’re releasing our first trailer for A World of Keflings, which should give you some great insight into just how much bigger in scope and gameplay it is from the first game.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmMKflEMEXc

If you’d like to come and play the game at PAX you can find it at Microsoft’s booth in the XBLA section.

Kane & Lynch 2 gets a new DLC pack today, along with two previous pre-order bonuses.

The Doggie Bag Pack is the only to offer new achievements.

The Kane & Lynch 2 multiplayer experience is about to get a whole lot richer. Three download packs are set to release today and will provide new maps and content playable in all three of the critically acclaimed Multiplayer modes as well as the single player Arcade mode. Increase your wealth and unlock new Achievement points with three new maps, powerful new weapons and stolen masks to conceal your identity.

The three DLC packs are…

Doggie Bag Pack

Take on new heists and unlock new Achievement points with two never before seen maps and five exclusive weapons for Multiplayer and Arcade modes.  Dockyard and High Rise maps, plus the Radio Tower map (previously available through pre-order offers) provide new opportunity to increase your wealth. And with the inclusion of five new weapons, including the DD 33, KL Viper, RTS, SMi 69, and the TOQ Model Four S the odds are in your favor of pulling off a successful heist.

Retail price:

Xbox 360 – 560 Microsoft points
PS3 –  €5.99 (Europe) / $5.99 (US)
STEAM – €5.99 (Europe) / $5.99 (US)

Alliance Weapons Pack

Increase your weapons arsenal  with seven powerful new weapons for all Multiplayer modes and Arcade mode. A mix of handguns, shotguns and assault rifles the new weapons include:  Doretta Silenced, Steele 870, TOQ SBR, Kaliningrad 47, PAC 10 silenced, N 77P  Silenced, TOQ Elite. (Weapons previously available through pre-order).

Retail price:

Xbox 360 – 240 Microsoft points
PS3 – €2.99 (Europe) / $2.99 (US)
STEAM – €2.99 (Europe) / $2.99 (US)

Multiplayer Mask Pack

Conceal your identity and avoid revenge attacks with 8 costume masks stolen from a Chinese gift shop, for all Multiplayer modes and Arcade mode. You never want to be identified, especially if you are a traitor! (Masks previously available through pre-order).

Retail price:

Xbox 360 – 160 Microsoft points
PS3 – €1.99 (Europe) / $1.99 (US)
STEAM – €1.99 (Europe) / $1.99 (US)

RedLynx, creators of the wildly successful XBLA title Trials HD, announces Wii sized motorbike fun.

RedLynx Reveals MotoHeroz for WiiWare

September 1, 2010 (Helsinki, Finland) — RedLynx (redlynx.com) today unveiled its latest creation: MotoHeroz, a brand new game for Nintendo’s WiiWare™ service.

MotoHeroz takes RedLynx’s established expertise in fast, physics-based gaming and expands it into an exciting, racing adventure, delivering a unique, side-scrolling platform racer.

Players race, chase, and rally their way through a rich, challenging world, competing against their friends for the fastest times, entering daily races, and hunting for secrets and coins.

The game has three main modes: a surprising single player adventure, a four player local multiplayer mode, and a new type of daily online competition, in which a new online track opens up daily to give players fresh opportunities to reach the top of the Leader Boards.

“With this game, we are taking our expertise in downloadable content, addictive gameplay, and the racing genre, and adapting it to the strengths of the Wii™,” said Antti Ilvessuo, Creative Director of RedLynx. “The result is a unique, appealing game that combines racing game thrills with platformer charm,” he added.

Key Features

* Simple but effective physics deliver an addictive gaming experience
* Single player story mode with memorable characters and rich visuals
* Four-player party mode that’s easy for anyone to pick up and play
* Ghost race against any player’s time on any track in the game
* Global and Friend-based Leader Boards to fuel your competitive fires
* Brand new kind of daily online competition, where new tracks and Leader Boards are opened and closed each day
* Steady 60 FPS, widescreen support, and blazing fast load times
* Packed with content, including 100+ tracks and three game modes

“We’re thrilled to be working with Nintendo on this project,” said Tero Virtala, CEO of RedLynx. “With a game like MotoHeroz, we are expanding the number of retail quality releases we are delivering to online marketplaces.”

RedLynx is a Finland-based company with a growing reputation for creating high quality games in the downloadable game space. Its Trials HD game for Xbox LIVE Arcade has been played by more than a million different players and was voted ‘Best Xbox LIVE’ game by users of that service, among other awards. On the iPhone, RedLynx’s games have long since surpassed the one million sold mark.

MotoHeroz is projected to complete development at the end of this year or in early 2011. For more information, contact RedLynx or pick up the October issue of Nintendo Power magazine, available on newsstands now.

About RedLynx

RedLynx Ltd. is a multiplatform game developer and publisher based in Helsinki, Finland. Since its founding in 2000, it has published more than 100 games on many platforms, including Xbox™ Live Arcade, Nintendo DS™, Sony PSP®, Apple iPhone®, Apple Macintosh®, PC, web, and mobile phones.

RedLynx, MotoHeroz, and Trials HD are trademarks of RedLynx, Ltd. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

In Mafia 2 you play an up and coming mobster named Vito Scaletta. The story revolves around a multitude of years of Veto experience’s with the Mob families he encounters in the game. The question is does your experience with the game match Vito’s?

Story: The game starts you off with a cut-scene showing Vito and his friend Joe robing a store and getting caught. Vito is arrested and forced to enter the Army as a translator. During his time in the Army he is injured and is forced to return home for leave. His friend Joe is expecting him and is waiting at the train station much to Vito’s surprise. In just a few days Joe finds a way to get Vito out of returning to the Army and Vito’s life of organized crime begins. Throughout the story Vito’s motives change from being able to help his mother and sister to getting himself out of jam because of something he did. They present these challenges to you very well and you almost feel like you know him a little bit when the story is over. Not all of the story arches end well for some and there is always a sense of betrayal waiting around every corner. The story progresses very well and it does make you want to play until you’re finished. Some missions were a bit of a drag but most were a unique experience and it felt as if the mission objectives were never repeated.

Gameplay: The gameplay will remind you of the GTA series. You are constantly driving to each new mission and you feel a little forced to start the next mission as soon as you finish the one you’re currently playing. Because of this you feel as if there is no free-roam as the game is always telling you to go to your next objective. Stores and items found in the game are few and far between. There are tons of cars you can drive though some you may only see once or twice your entire time playing. You can buy items for your character as well as upgrades to your car but you are quite limited on what you can purchase or upgrade. Your health is displayed as a bar on the HUD and will go down quite fast when in a gun fight and uses a system like Gear of War where the screen turns grey to let you know you are injured. At most times I found my health would drop so fast I would not be able to recover and I would die. The gunplay feels a little basic and so does the cover system. You will find yourself stuck in a position during a firefight and having bullets rained down upon you. There are also some collectable that can be found these include Playboy centerfolds as well as wanted posters.

Graphics: The graphics are average for the generation. While playing I felt like I was in a closed in city. There were no grand vistas or great scenes of the city. Walls and building blocked every view. Buildings and cars looked a little subpar. The characters are one of the redeeming factors of the game. They looks almost life like and actually help you understand who they are and associate with them while playing the game.

Overall: The game has a decent story that I liked quite well. The companionship between Vito and Joe is expressed quite well and I enjoyed that part of the story. The game is fun but don’t expect anything that really sets this apart from the GTA series.

Score: 7 out of 10

A copy of this game was provided to the reviewer from the publisher for review purposes.

Like an arrogant, evil genius, Twisted Pixel has revealed the full details of evil plan #3, a.k.a. Comic Jumper.

Comic Jumper’s release date was announce today as part of Microsoft’s new seasonal promotion, Game Feast. The fourth and final Comic genre was also unveiled today…Manga! You know craziness awaits! Here is the cover art for all four comic book universes in the game:

At 1200 Microsoft Points, Comic Jumper will feature a free, unlockable Premium Dashboard Theme, one new, “Extra Long” Splosion Man level for both Single Player and Multiplayer game modes, along with three great Avatar Awards! Twisted Pixel is also going all out for fans again at the upcoming PAX’ convention…

From twistedpixelgames.com:

In addition to the big announcement today about Comic Jumper’s launch on Oct 6…as part of the inaugural GAME FEAST, we are excited to talk about what we’re going to be up to at this year’s PAX.

PAX is our favorite show because it’s the best opportunity we have to interact directly with our friends and fans who come hang out with us each year. Last year was awesome, so it will be hard to beat, but we’re going to try! This year we will have the following awesomes at our booth (#3003):

• Four custom Comic Jumper “slim” Xbox 360 giveaways!
• FULL version of Comic Jumper playable!
• Check out the new Splosion Man unlockable DLC levels!
• Splosion Man and Comic Jumper competitions with prizes!
• Live performance of Donuts, Go Nuts! by the artist Chainsaw!
• New merch, including Comic Jumper maquettes, Splosion Man plushies, new shirts, more!

Following quickly on the heels of the Xbox Live Gold rate hike, and the late-coming, redesigned Xbox 360 controller, Major Nelson announces this Fall’s new Game Feast and reveals the XBLA schedule for the next two months.

Hydrophobia will be kicking off Xbox Live’s first Fall “Game Feast” on September 29th, 2010. The Game Feast is similar to the Spring “Block Party” and “Summer of Arcade”, highlighting some of XBLA’s most anticipated games.

Pinball FX 2 is an interesting specimen, as there is no price listed. Similar to Hasbro Family Game Night titles, tables will be purchased individually, with a free import of tables for owners of the original Pinball FX. It will be interesting to see how the achievements are implemented, given the fact that not everyone will be purchasing all available tables.

From majornelson.com:

It’s time for some Fall fun with The Game Feast. Starting September 29 through October 20 we’ve got a solid line up of XBLA games:

September 29: Hydrophobia, 1200 Microsoft Points
October 6: Comic Jumper, 1200 Microsoft Points
October 13: Pinball FX 2, Tables purchased individually, free import from original Pinball FX
October 20: Super Meat Boy, Pricing TBD

From September 17 (12pm ET / 9am PT/1600 GMT) through September 20 (12pm ET /9am PT/1600 GMT) Xbox LIVE Silver members can take advantage of industry-leading multiplayer, not to mention exclusive access to movies, TV shows, music and friends via Netflix, Last.fm, Facebook and more. These Gold-only features will be available all weekend long for the whole Xbox LIVE community.

Xbox LIVE Arcade:
September 8: Plants vs. Zombies, 1200 Microsoft Points
September 8: Dance! It’s your Stage, 800 Microsoft Points
September 15: Sonic Adventure, 800 Microsoft Points

Xbox LIVE Deal of the Week** :
Week of September 5th: Select Resident Evil content
Week of September 13:
BUST-A-MOVE Live!, 400 Microsoft Points
Gyromancer, 800 Microsoft Points
Tower Bloxx Deluxe, 400 Microsoft Points
Puzzle Chronicles, 400 Microsoft Points

**Special pricing available for Xbox LIVE Gold Members

Xbox Game Add-Ons
September 2: Crackdown 2 Toy Box available at no cost to Crackdown 2 owners; 560 Microsoft Points for additional content and available worldwide
September 7: Mass Effect 2 Lair of the Shadow Broker , 800 Microsoft Points
September 7: Dragon Age: Origins Witch Hunt , 560 Microsoft Points
September 7: Rock Band Snoop Dog 8 Single Tracks, 160 Microsoft Points for each track and available worldwide

*Current schedule. Subject to change. All content may not be available in all Xbox LIVE regions.

You definitely need to check out Major Nelson’s video, I lol’ed at how nonchalantly he talks about community feedback about the crappy original d-pad, like it hasn’t been a constant complaint since the 360 launched five years ago.

The new controller sports a chrome d-pad and Xbox Guide button, along with new transparent white and grey face buttons, throwing out the traditional red/green/blue/yellow color scheme. This will work great for all those games that have Quick Time Events… The button/color combos should be ingrained into most veteran gamers by now, but this could cause a slight hesitation for new gamers, or as time passes playing without colored buttons.

The d-pad rotates 90 degrees, raising or lowering a disc surrounding the plus. This lets the d-pad function like the crappy d-pad 360 has had for the last five years, or as an actual “plus” d-pad, which is more accurate and should eliminate cross-signaling. Larry (Major Nelson) also mentions the concave analog sticks, so there may be a slight change there as well.

Just like with the now obsolete 64, 256, and 512MB 360 Memory Units, the original Xbox 360 controllers are now outdated. This includes the recent Halo:Reach controller, and the yet to be released Fable III controller. It’s almost like they thought “Hey, we’ve got all these parts for the old controllers. Let’s paint them, sell them at a premium to our most loyal customers, and THEN announce the improved controller”. Microsoft is further profiteering by offering the new controller only in a Play-N-Charge combo, at a price of $64.99

This should have launched (and been included) with the Xbox 360 Slim and Halo Reach bundle…How about a cheap retro-fit kit, Microsoft?

From majornelson.com:

We’ve just made the Xbox 360 Wireless controller even better with a brand new version that includes a transforming D-pad. The engineers have come up with an ingenious solution with a d-pad that can go from a plus to a disc with the twist of the wrist.

From this:

To this instantly:

Here is a video that shows how it work:

In addition to the new d-pad, the matte silver controller also features concave analog sticks and gray A,B,X,Y buttons for added style.

The controller will only be available with the new Play & Charge Kit that will launch on November 9th for US $64.99.

More photos on my flickr

If you are headed to PAX Prime this weekend in Seattle, drop by the recording of my LIVE Podcast on Sunday where I’ll have a few of these controllers to give away for free.

Edit: It’s now up on Xbox.com

Score: 8 out of 10

A review sample of this DDR pad was givin to the reviewer for reviewing purposes.

Activision and Gaijin Entertainment announce an Apache: Air Assault reboot for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.

Gaijin and Activision team up for another flight sim port/upgrade after last year’s IL-2 Sturmovik Birds of Prey. Apache Air Assault first appeared on PC in 2003 (Apache AH-64 Air Assault), developed by InterActive Vision Games and published by Activision. No word yet on whether Apache will be a straight remake, or have a new set of  campaign missions.

From acclaimed flight sim developer Gaijin Entertainment, developer of IL-2 Sturmovik Birds of Prey, comes its first helicopter combat simulator, Apache: Air Assault. With several different flyable helicopters, Apache: Air Assault aims to let you experience a helicopter ride unlike any other!

Check out the newest screens from the game as you’ll get a feel for the air to air and air to ground operations. From the jungles of Central America to the mountains of Central Asia, Apache: Air Assault has you where the fight is needed most.

Whether you decide to fight alone or with a co-pilot in one of the 16 multi-stage missions, Apache aims to be as realistic as possible in order for player(s) to feel the rush and adrenaline of a military operation and the precision and detail needed to complete an objective. From the real-world satellite photography used to make the environments to the simulation controls, players will feel every missile, cannon, and bump in the air a war-torn sky have to offer.

Apache: Air Assault is on shelves November 9th, 2010 on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game is not yet rated by the ESRB. For more information, please visit www.activision.com