This week at E3, Disney was showing off its latest Pirates of the Caribbean game, with nary a movie in sight. Armada of the Damned is being developed by Propaganda Games, creators of the most recent Turok titles, and it's ambitious: An open-world action-RPG with a morality system, based on the popular license but not on any specific movie.
And it's shaping up pretty well -- the short demo took us through one of the game's quests, with main character Captain Sterling fighting through cursed tribesmen up a live volcano to their (literally) crabby leader.
They may not be visible in 3D -- or even represent every game announced for Nintendo's newest handheld -- but the screenshots of 3DS titles released during E3 week are plenty, and we've hunted down every last one so you don't have to. You'll find everything from Animal Crossing to Zelda: Ocarina of Time in the galleries after the break. If you think they look good now, wait until you see them in glasses-free, coming-out-of-the-screen action. We know -- it's going to be a tough wait.
For some reason, I thought of Prope's Ivy the Kiwi? as a mellow title, a generally relaxing and lightweight game -- at least that's what I thought before actually playing the game. To my surprise, I was presented with a challenging, often chaotic arcade game instead of a frothy, low-impact diversion. It's just the kind of game I seek out, actually -- a game whose challenge comes from mastering a single, unique gameplay mechanic.
Even more Dance Dance Revolution is coming to Wii. This is a series that just won’t die, and it seems to get a new installment every year. Other than adding in new music, what more can Konami do to keep the series fresh? At one point or another, gamers are going to [...]
#dancecentral
Excuse me, "Who wants to see costumed reps testing Dance Central for Kinect? On the last day of E3, one of Rift's attendants joined two from The Agency - and two dudes - for a dance off. More »
While E3 attendees file out of a darkened room after a demonstration of the new Mortal Kombat, series co-creator Ed Boon is approached by a pair of enthusiastic fans. He gladly gives them a few autographs, and his face lights up in surprise when he learns that they've grown enamored with the fighting franchise in their 18 years of existence -- despite being born well after its inception. Has Mortal Kombat really been around for almost 20 years?
Working from NetherRealm Studios -- owned by Mortal Kombat's new custodian, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment -- Ed Boon doesn't limit his interaction with fans to chance encounters. The upcoming reboot is being driven by three major requests from series fans, which Boon calls his "marching orders." They've suggested a return to the M-rated presentation following 2008's Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (check), a deeper fighting system (check) and, of course, a new set of outrageous fatalities (check out that perforated spleen).
Boon claims that every combatant's interior, from the soon-to-be-shattered bones to the sickeningly squishy internal organs, has been modeled. It's not often that you get to literally see an artist's blood, sweat and tears in a game, but Boon assures me that when attacks find their mark, all "that shit pours out of them."
#twig
One big multiplatform release this Tuesday - Transformers: War for Cybertron, High Moon Studios' take on the Autobot/Decepticon backstory, unfettered by the requirements of a movie tie-in - or the looks of the robots in them. More »
Mafia 2 feels, from the demo we played, like it could just as easily be called Grand Theft Auto: Godfather. If that's what you're looking for from the mob-o-rama sequel, then celebrate by throwing someone off a pier with cement shoes.
It's actually pretty hard to note anything unexpected or different in the Mafia 2 demo. Almost everything you'd expect from a game that borrows heavily from the GTA IV template is there, both the good and the bad.
E3’s over, but that hasn’t stopped a new Sound Test from going live. Things start with a bang thanks to Ollie King’s theme song and a hip piece from Art Style light trax, but we soften it with slow selections from inFAMOUS and Final Fantasy X-2. Enjoy your post-E3, post-hype, post-information-overload decompression this week.
A portion of a Nintendo Life review…
It won’t blow you away but it’s an enjoyable way to pass the time, and the addition of short minigames help to spice up proceedings. For only 500 Points this is better value than some other games on the service, so if you feel like a few hours spotting [...]
