EA has announced that the Mass Effect 3 Demo will be available on the day we feel the most in love. In addition to keeping you warm on Valentine’s Day the demo will include all of the Kinect features (team voice command and dialouge) and both single player and multiplayer excerpts. Here is the quote from EA:

“There are two sections in the Mass Effect 3 demo, both included as part of a single download: The single player section includes 2 areas: the opening level featuring the Reaper attack on Earth, and a level further into the game where Shepard travels to an alien home world to seek their assistance in the war effort. This will be approximately 1 to 2 hours of content.The co-op multiplayer section includes 2 maps: Slum and Noveria. This section will be open to players who have qualified for the early multiplayer access as of Feb 14, and will then open up to all players on Feb 17″

So get ready for your big date…..with Commander Shepard!

Gameplay: The Vengeance DLC adds three new levels for people to complete. Two are standard levels and one is a very specially made Challenge map. The two regular levels are just what you would expect in the campaign the only difference is that they are harder, include new, more difficult enemies and take much more time to complete. In these two levels you must hunt down two disturbed female assassins. So at the end of these two missions there is a boss battle that rivals the final battle of the campaign. Also for those who love a challenge these two maps are the hardest yet on Redonkulous. You will have an extremely hard time beating these maps by yourself and for me seem to require a co-op team to complete. While battling your way through each level you will encounter new enemies that take much more abuse than those found in the standard campaign levels. Most have new weapons, shielding and just seem to want to kill you more. I really don’t want to spoil the levels themselves but I know you will find them entertaining.

The new challenge map called Fistful of Coins is pretty basic. For each wave of enemies you defeat you gain gold. You then have the choice to take the money and complete the level, or you can take on another wave to raise both your score and pocket book. The interesting part is if you die, you lose everything and are forced to start over. Each wave spawns random enemies so you can’t plan for each wave and it makes it that much harder.

From what I discovered there are secret areas all over the place just like in the campaign. The sad thing about this DLC is that there is only one new weapon for each of the characters. Other than that one weapon there is nothing new equipment wise which is kind of disappointing. Though truth be told I honestly believe the devs really wanted to give those who thought the campaign was too easy a real challenge to chew on. I really hope that in the future they will add new equipment to the game.

Overall: If you loved Crimson Alliance this is one DLC you will want to buy. It really expands on the challenges found the game and it allows you turn earn a ton of gold without having to buy it from those gold chests in shops. I can honestly say I’m really looking forward to playing this with my friends over and over again. The lack of new equipment is really the only fault in this DLC, but I think most people can overlook that.

Score: 8 out of 10

A code was provided to the reviewer for reviewing purposes from the publisher.

Portal 2 is now on sale for 50% off on Steam through Thursday at 4pm PT. For more information on Portal 2, visit. For more information on Steam, please visit

“Portal 2: Peer Review” Available on PC, Mac, PS3 and Xbox 360 Releases Oct. 4th

In “Peer Review”, you and a friend will continue the story of loyal bots P-Body and Atlas as you puzzle your way through a mysterious new co-op test track and once again match wits with GLaDOS. The DLC also features a single player and co-op Challenge Mode, and leaderboards to compare Challenge Mode scores with friends and the Portal community.

To hold you over until the release next week, visit Think With Portals for the final installment of the Portal 2 soundtrack Music to Test By.

The Fallout series has been near and dear to my heart since I played the original on my PC way back 1997. When Bethesda took over and changed up the usual gameplay I was a bit worried, but they have pulled it off and made a cult series into a triple A powerhouse franchise. The newest foray into Fallout universe is the city of New Vegas, where I have spent somewhere around 200 hours. When the chance came to me to review the newest DLC I jumped on it faster then a Deathclaw’s pursuit of a Wastelander.

Story:You are contacted by Ulysses, the man who caused you to be shot in the head by refusing his couriers job of transporting the Platinum Chip. Ulysses promises to explain his motive to you, but only after you take on his quest in the Divide a stormy earthquake prone landscape with some new enemy types.

Gameplay: Nothing new here, still the same first person RPG/shooter hybrid we have come to love. Lonesome Road does allow you to keep all of your current equipment and weapons, but to stick with the lonesom theme you must leave all of your companions behind. Lonesome Road is supposed to bring the story around full circle, but it seemingly never does. Completing Lonesome Road still leave some questions to be answered, making it feel like more of a LOST episode then a final DLC.

Graphics/Audio:Since this is a DLC we all know what to expect in this department. Lonesome Road adds no real graphical or musical changes, other then a look at a new landscape. There really isn’t much you can add with a DLC to improve upon graphics, but I felt the radio could have used a few more tunes or stations to keep you company along your journey.

Overall:Being as big of a Fallout nerd as I am, I can’t help but feel Lonesome Road was a bit of a let down. We were promised the “real” ending to the game and I still have questions and no closure. Lonesome Road was enjoyable, but nowhere near the level of Old World Blues. If your a Fallout fan definitely pick this up to bring yourself closer to the answers you want, but don’t expect to be blown away.

Pros:
-Great new perks
-New enemies
-FUN new weapons (Flare gun, Red Glare rocket launcher)

Cons:
-Too linear
-Scripted enemy spawn points
-NO CLOSURE!

7 out of 10

A copy of this game was provided by the publisher for reviewing purposes.

In a reply to an @XBLAFans tweet about the upcoming table announcement for Marvel Pinball, Pinball FX 2 developer Zen Studios outed the fact that comic fans can expect more than one new table to be revealed on Saturday. We will have to wait till then to find out if Zen has another Marvel Four-Pack in the works, or if they are simply revealing their release schedule for the coming months.

zen_studios RT @XBLAFans “to promote the announcement of their new Marvel pinball table this Sat!” who said it was “a” table?

Marvel Pinball is available on PS3 as a stand-alone title, and as DLC tables for Pinball FX 2 on Xbox 360. Currently available Marvel tables include Blade, Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Wolverine, with individual DLC tables based on Captain America, and The Fantastic Four.

Find out more about Zen Studios, Marvel Pinball, and Pinball FX 2 at http://www.zenstudios.com/

Some have pledged Bethesda’s Brink to be revolutionary others claim its a failed attempt at greatness. Regardless, they are releasing free DLC, which is certainly welcome sometime in June. Dubbed Agents of Change, the add-on brings new maps, player abilities, weapon attachments, and character outfits. See the full list below.

New Maps

• Founders’ Tower – The revolution finally reaches the island’s iconic spire and takes the battle for the Ark to dizzying heights.

• Labs – Venture into the depths of the Ark’s original research and development laboratories, a submerged high-tech facility so far untouched by the civil war.

New Player Abilities

• UAV – This stealthy and lethal device allows Operatives to automatically mark nearby enemies on their radar. For more explosive fun, they can even take direct control of the UAV and detonate it near unsuspecting foes.
  
• Napalm Grenade – Soldiers can use this new grenade to cover an area in a sea of deadly flames.
• Pyro Mine – Engineers can plant these mines and leave enemies in the epicenter of a massive napalm explosion.
• Field Regen Unit – Medics can deploy these units to increase the health regeneration of any nearby teammates.
• Tactical Scanner – This universal ability allows players to reveal the active buffs of their opponents, allowing them to pick off enemies more strategically.

New Weapon Attachments

• Bayonets – Gain the edge in melee combat and cause extra damage with these deadly blades.
• Weapon Shields – Take cover from enemy fire and prevent headshot bonus damage behind riot-style shields.

New Character Outfits

• The Sad Punk – Add a touch of Steampunk to your Resistance character.
• The Limey – Bring order to the Ark with this outfit inspired by traditional European police.

Lets skip right to the point, zombies, you know that is one of the largest pieces of content in the add-on so it’s only appropriate to go first right? Well lets call this one a change of pace that is certainly welcome. Gone (for the most part) are the short, narrow corridors that give you a claustrophobic feeling. Instead you face a purely outside map which features the likes of a frozen Siberian wasteland with the only light in sight being an abandoned warship and a lighthouse, but is there more to it than this facade shows? Surely. New are some escape routes, after all the legendary George Romero, albeit in a zombie form, is chasing after you while throwing verbal taunts and trying to entice you closer. Zip lines, catapults and some really crazy path twists ensure that you will have a tough time at first, but the ones who memorize the entire map are the ones that will successfully evade the ensuing horde. More than ever teamwork is crucial given you all need to be on the same plan for things to work out, screw up and someones all by themselves cornered helplessly with Mr. Romero standing over their lifeless bodies. New weapons, secrets, and (a) woman(!), await your arrival. Also, don’t forget the star studded lineup that is Danny Trejo, Robert Englund, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Michael Rooker.

The Competetive Multiplayer portion of the DLC features four new maps for destruction, each featuring something unique that hasn’t been done before. Hotel is set on the roof of a hotel and features the top part of two buildings separated by a recreation area. The map has many neat nooks and crannies that actually take some exploring to find and each hotel lobby features two elevators the likes of which have caused many laughs, claymores, C4, you name it, hilarity (and screaming) ensues.

Zoo is set inside an old, abandoned Russian zoo which contains a good amount of verticality. Ledges, overlooks, underground pathways, you name it. This makes for a ton of different approaches to objective based gametypes and allows for some matches to actually feature a good amount of stealth if you wish.This is truly the best map I’ve ever seen for those who enjoy Mike Myers (hide and seek). The line of sights allow for a grandeur experience that makes you feel like you can actually funnel the enemies into kill-zones quite easily.

Convoy is set in an area where a convoy has come under attack, damaging the bridge in the middle of the level and sending debris everywhere. Part of a house that was being transported on wheels lays sideways near the collapsed bridge. A gas station waits precariously nearby waiting to explode, and the continue to sustain damage during the battle. This map is small enough to get hectic but large enough that you can take it slow if you wish. Get a team that works well together and you can completely block out the enemy from the headquarters no matter where it is located.

Stockpile is my least favorite, but it’s still good nonetheless. With a central compound that can be sealed off with garage doors that can be opened or closed and many other entrances that make for a heck of a crossfire. When the headquarters is in the center is when the map truly shines, trying to secure the room when there are over five separate entrances is pretty tough and something hardcore gamers will truly appreciate.

So does that sound worth it to you? Yes or no, it really is one of the better downloadable content pieces that we’ve seen from either Treyarch or Infinity Ward. The map pack is on par with, if not better than First Strike. What’s the score you say? Read below.

Pros:

• Great zombie map with great voice actors
• New sense of verticality
• Maps feel lively
• No camping in Call of the Dead

Cons:

• Price point
• Most difficult zombie map in Black Ops

Score: 9.0/10