This week's XBLA in Brief takes a look at Dead Space Ignition, an interactive motion comic that serves as a prequel to Dead Space 2. It's chock full of motion comic, mini-games and ... that's about it. On the plus side, it unlocks items in Dead Space 2 and it's only five bucks.
If you're wondering where Sonic 4 is, our review is coming soon. And if you're wondering where Pinball FX 2 is, check back in two weeks.
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The European PSN update continues its hot streak of delivering intimidatingly large piles of games and demos to nosh on -- like, for instance, the first episode of Sonic 4 and Dead Space Ignition, as well as a trial of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2. Handheld aficionados can now pick up the demo for God of War: Ghost of Sparta. There's a ton of DLC too -- check it all out after the jump!
Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list:
(Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
EA will hand out download codes for the digital comic/minigame collection Dead Space Ignition with pre-orders of Dead Space 2 from participating retailers. So if you were planning to buy Ignition today (on PSN) or Wednesday (on XBLA), you might consider putting that five dollars into a pre-order of the retail game!
We asked EA exactly which retailers were "participating" in this offer. According to the publisher, the offer will be reflected on Amazon, GameStop, and the EA Store sometime this week, with Best Buy joining next week. To get an idea of what you'll get with your Dead Space 2 pre-order, enjoy an Ignition trailer after the break.
Update: EA confirmed the inclusion of multiplayer in Dead Space 2 to Joystiq, saying, "Dead Space 2 will feature multiplayer where you'll be able to strategically dismember your friends for the first time." Hopefully we'll hear more soon.
According to reports coming out of the recent GameStop managers meeting in Texas, Dead Space 2 will be getting a multiplayer mode in which players will control either Necromorphs or "soldiers" (presumably not welders, then?). GamerNode claims that the mode will consist of "deathmatch-style combat" and will be just one of several multiplayer game modes when the game launches in early 2011.
Additionally, the source claims that pre-orders of the game at any outlet would net purchasers a free download of Dead Space: Ignition. Alas, if you pre-order it at GameStop, you'll allegedly get another bonus: a rivet gun.
Update: EA confirmed the inclusion of multiplayer in Dead Space 2 to Joystiq, saying, "Dead Space 2 will feature multiplayer where you'll be able to strategically dismember your friends for the first time." Hopefully we'll hear more soon.
According to reports coming out of the recent GameStop managers meeting in Texas, Dead Space 2 will be getting a multiplayer mode in which players will control either Necromorphs or "soldiers" (presumably not welders, then?). GamerNode claims that the mode will consist of "deathmatch-style combat" and will be just one of several multiplayer game modes when the game launches in early 2011.
Additionally, the source claims that pre-orders of the game at any outlet would net purchasers a free download of Dead Space: Ignition. Alas, if you pre-order it at GameStop, you'll allegedly get another bonus: a rivet gun.
According to reports coming out of the recent GameStop managers meeting in Texas, Dead Space 2 will be getting a multiplayer component in which players will control either Necromorphs or "soldiers" (presumably not welders, then?). GamerNode claims that the mode will consist of "deathmatch-style combat" and will be just one of several multiplayer game modes when the game launches in early 2011.
Additionally, the source claims that pre-orders of the game at any outlet would net purchasers a free download of Dead Space: Ignition. Alas, if you pre-order it at GameStop, you'll allegedly get another bonus: a rivet gun. EA didn't respond to request for comment by publishing.
#deadspaceignition
This closer look at Dead Space Ignition gives us a better sense of the art style that will be found in the stage-setter for Dead Space 2. More »
By now you know that Dead Space Ignition is, essentially, a downloadable motion comic recounting the events immediately leading up to Dead Space 2. It's made interactive via the inclusion of three hacking minigames, one of which, Trace Route, I tried out at EA's Studio Showcase yesterday.
As we mentioned in our original news post, it's a play-alike of Nintendo's Light Trax for WiiWare with the exception that it features slightly deeper gameplay -- and is really pretty challenging. It's also going to support leaderboards and two players when released, and will unlock content (including a new suit for protagonist Isaac Clarke) in Dead Space 2.
At an EA press event today, a Dead Space 2 producer showed the first footage of the downloadable interactive comic Dead Space Ignition. The story, a prequel to the sequel, is delivered via lightly animated comic book-style art and follows an engineer on the Sprawl space station. Between the uniforms, the voices and the semi-animated look, Ignition reminds us of Sealab 2021 -- bizarro!
The engineer's job, of course, is to fix electronics, and that's where the main interactive part comes into play, in the form of three minigames: "Hardware Crack," "System Override," and "Trace Route." Only Trace Route was shown today -- a hacking-themed riff on the abstract line racer, Light Trax.
Ignition is coming to Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network this fall.
