Posts filed under ‘Xbox 360’

Some of our friends across the pond may have bought Hitman: Blood Money on Xbox Live’s direct download. However, there is a problem if you are trying to play it on HDMI. The problem is the same problem that existed back in 2009. Players will have their 360 setup with a HDMI cable to their TV. They will go to play the game but be told that the game does not support PAL-60 and to change it in their settings. Problem is that, when they go to the display settings, a setting for PAL is not found. One lucky YouTuber fixed their problem way back in 2009. The solution is fairly simple, but requires that you have composite cables and the ability to plug them in your TV. It looks like he leaves the HDMI plugged in as well and switches over to the composite video channel on the TV. From there, the PAL setting is now available in the menu. He switches it to PAL-50, exits out and switches the TV back over to HDMI. Suddenly he is able to play Hitman: Blood Money. Success! I hope this helps anybody that was recently enticed to buy this game or has this issue with other games. See the video below if you need more info.

Who doesn’t love the zombies over at Microsoft? Whoa I think you got the wrong idea, I totally meant the new zombie action game coming out of their publishing studio. Yeah, that’s it, I was talking about Deadlight. Luckily enough for gamers, developer Tequila Works is behind this new platformer. If you watch the trailer below, you’ll notice 3 things. Puzzles, Art, and Zombies! So just watch already and get yourself ready for more zombies because there can never, ever, be enough zombies in the world. (Until the zombie apocalypse happens and then I want ZERO zombies.)

Deadlight is a cinematic action-platformer with action-based puzzles. The player takes the role of Randall Wayne, survivor of an apocalyptic world set in an alternate 1980s. Taking advantage of Randall’s agility, the player will overcome obstacles, dodge enemies, and set diversions.

I almost overlooked this game when delving through the ever flowing cascade of press releases. It wasn’t until I saw that the nice people from Sparkrift were giving away a few copies to their fellow Redditors, that I realized how awesome of a game it could turn out to be. You see, Robofish makes itself distinct from other shoot ‘em up games by giving the player a chance at uniqueness. The player has to upgrade and create the weapons used on the fish.  A varied amount of options are available including choosing what type of effect the ammo has.

The staggering amount of choices I have almost leave me confused and the only option is to test them out in the heat of battle to determine effectiveness. Luckily, after shooting down enemies and collecting the pearls they leave behind, I am able to upgrade my choices, perhaps providing better options. I love the art of the game, it slightly resembles other shumps (shoot ‘em ups) like Geometry Wars, if only for the neon glow. Other than that, Robofish is its own unique creation. After all, it is a fish with robotics attached to it shooting everything in it’s path; which is awesome! Unlike Geometry Wars, I find that Robofish has the enemies falling from the top, or from the front if you think of it as looking down on a fish. In that case, these streams of enemies are easier to handle until they do envelop you. None the less, I prefer this method of being attacked.

As far as configurations go, I prefer to set mine up in a directional control method so that I can completely control where my shots go. I chose to put a slight curve on them and to have to keep the accuracy down so that a general area is being covered. This way I can keep from having to have absolute precise control. Of course, you can choose to have it completely wavy, crisscrossed, or in multiple directions.

If you keep up the good work of dodging incoming attacks and keep on shooting everything down, you’ll be able to earn multipliers for different levels of enemies killed in a row. There are even some bonus moves such as a repairing yourself or firing a homing missile. The missile is best saved for bigger enemies as it does seem to take to long to recharge. In fact, I often forget to use it. My main concern is shooting things and collecting pearls for upgrades.

All in all, you have three things here. A beautifully designed game, an excellent shoot ‘em up, and an addictive indie game found for a reasonable price on XBLIG. If you’re interested, you can find it for yourself at Xbox.com.

To quote a famous movie, “Oh, everyone likes their own brand, don’t they?” Of course, Fat Bastard wasn’t exactly referring to the Nine Dots Studio Xbox Live Indie Game Brand, but I’d like to think that the quote applies to it quite nicely. You see, the name revolves around a sword you are given. The player will use the sword to complete objectives which allow the sword to be upgraded over and over again whichever way you chose until you have something you can call your own. Brand is a 2d side scrolling game with beautiful three dimensional graphics to expand the depth of the playing field.  The way that  Brand works, is that you’ll take a mission from one of three people in order to upgrade your sword.

They’ll send you either into a the Necropolis, the Castle, or the Mines. As you explore the areas, you’ll be able to exit them via a portal when you are safe. All the areas’s switches will remain unlocked if you exit via this method, but if you die you get nothing. Once the sword has been upgraded 15 times, you will be sent to the arena to see how many levels you can clear and the sword will be put into the king’s armory for you to go back and try to clear more levels later on. I spent about 5 hours just to get to this stage. Honestly, unless you are focusing in one particular skill, I think most people will try to upgrade the sword evenly across the board. Then, if you continue to upgrade and finish them off, you’ll have the same sword as everyone else. This is something that the game is partially hypocritical about. The fact is that there are not enough upgrades to truly make a unique sword. However, the skill of the player still remains in question. Whether or not the player is able to use the slashes, dashes and heavy attacks to their fullest is in question here. The added bonus of this game allows you to use your avatar for the killing of all the evil creatures. I personally like looking like a bad-ass; killing creatures, and eventually naming my sword after a demon. This was a great game and hopefully earns itself a place at the top for Xbox Live Indie Games.

P.S. Stay away from manticores and check out the trailer below.

Each week, Xbox Live offers and exclusive piece of content to Xbox Live Gold members. This week’s “Exclusive Gold Only Discout” item is Dungeons & Dragons Daggerdale

Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale, a hack and slash action role playing game set in the deep mythology of the Forgotten Realms, is the first Dungeons & Dragons video game for connected consoles.  Players are summoned by a mysterious mage and given the duty of defending their homeland as Rezlus, an evil Zhentarim Cleric looks to bring the power of the Black Lord Bane to Daggerdale. Restore order to the Dalelands by unlocking the secrets of the Mines of Tethyamar, defeating the evil within the treacherous Tower of the Void, leading to the final confrontation with Rezlus himself.

Players can take on the role of the melee expert Human Fighter, the quick and nimble Elven Rogue, the master of the arcane arts Halfling Wizard, and the powerful divine Dwarven Cleric.  Gamers use intuitive pick-up-and-play combat combined with a wide assortment of weapons, feats and powers to defeat a wide range of deadly enemies. Players can level their character, unlocking three tiers of powers, and an extensive list of feats to create a truly unique character.  As the player levels, they can add additional attribute points to their ability scores, further enhancing the performance of the character. The action-packed RPG gameplay allows for solo and co-op play for up to four players.

Price: 1200 MSP / Gold Only Exclusive  600MSP

At first I thought the press release was a joke, but then I sadly discovered that it was not. A company has made a cover for your Kinect to block the cameras so it does not spy on you. Apparently it has been out since January and posted by a few big name websites and finally it has a press release. Their reasoning behind it? The fact that Microsoft themselves has stated how the device could be used to target advertising during a sporting event by determining which jersey you are wearing. Would Microsoft do this without your permission? Hell No! Would there be an update to Xbox Live’s Terms of Usage allowing them to do so? Maybe… Does this mean we need to go around covering our Kinects in case of an impossible hacker intrusion? No! It seems like snake oil to me, focusing on privacy concerns without really having anything other than pretentious hype to back it. Will it protect it from dust as the company Catalyst Components claims? Yes, but so would any type of cover and how do we protect our covers from dust? In fact, how do I play with the cover on? Oh yeah, I have to remove it and that is a physical action which could be the same as simply unplugging the Kinect if you have yours plugged in the front like mine.

Lets go over the specs here with my notes highlighted in red.
·        Provides and added layer of in-home security For a problem that doesn’t exist. Would you like my tiger deterring rock?
·        Designed specifically for Xbox 360 Kinect and Kinect for Windows Is there another type of Kinect?
·        Designed to obstruct Kinect’s camera view when not in use Technically if it is “not in use” then it isn’t on.
·        Ensures privacy and security against potential prying eyes For Xbox, Who? For Windows, treat it like a webcam. (Coming soon, webcam cover.)
·        Blocks LED and infrared light for home theater environments The green dot may be annoying, but I hate seeing INFRARED LIGHT.
·        Protects optical lenses from dust and debris So far the only plus.
·        Does NOT interfere with voice command or calibration I’m assuming it can’t interfere with calibration when I take it off for calibration.
·        Easily slips on and off Kinect Ok, you got me here.
·        Conforms to Kinect’s sleek black aesthetic And here.
·        Available at Best Buy, Microcenter, Target and Amazon.com Here too.
·        Suggested Retail Price: $9.99 Price drop from $15, wonder if it isn’t selling well…
·        Made in the USA Ok, now I want to buy it.

If you’ve ever wanted to feel the element of RPG slightly more in a pinball game than you do in other fantasy styled pinball tables, then this week’s release of Zen Studios’ Epic Quest table is right up your alley. Zen has been thinking about this and working on it for some time now, and finally it is released to the masses for their enjoyment. “How”, you ask, “How can they fit RPG into a pinball table?” Well it is simply. You see, Officer Pinball was driving his police car and ran over a nerd with a pen and paper game under his arm… Ok that is just a bad joke. Seriously though, let me walk you through the game and show off the RPGness of it all.

Your player character is already chosen for you and given the name Max. Sorry, they had to make it the same but if you try really hard you can pretend you are special and the only Max in the world. While Max is trying to heroically fight evil and monsters, he also wants to find gold and loot while doing so. Zen Studios pushed hard on character development to really bring Max to life for the player. His heroism is epic, but so is his comedic posture and language. The development team hopes to hit a vein with those who enjoy other comedic parodies, such as Monty Python’s Holy Grail. I find the comedy light and playful and not as dirty as say, Medieval Madness.

Let me walk you through the table, and while you read me explaining I hope you follow along with the numbered picture above (open in another window, it is very large) so as not to confuse you so much. Start with the plunger at 1 trying to make the skill shot in the middle stall in the barn at 2. You’ll need to depress the plunger so that the ogre’s teeth are barely covered and you’ll have to practice this quite a bit. Even after playing for 4 days, I still can only make this half of the time. If you make the shot you will travel down the wire slot, or if you make another stall you will enter the playing field as well. If you over shoot, you’ll have your chance to enter the orcanium at 4 with the flipper at 3. (I like to remember it as the response to the statement, “I can do magic, Or can I? UM”) You can also get back up to the flipper at 3 by taking a ride on the waterwheel at 5. If you miss all of that and then miss your regular flippers and still have the quest again light, the ball will launch itself and be grabbed by the plant at 6 and then spit onto the field. This is probably so you don’t get bonuses on a play again launch. You can encounter your battles by getting into the orcanium(4) or if I remember correctly, entering the forest(7) enough by taking the loop at 6 or just a too soft of orbital loop around the outside where it drops in. Also sometimes the ball launcher at 8 will spit you there as well. Then it will spit you back on the field towards the flippers or sometimes over the smash target(9) and by Max. During battles, you can dodge an attack by taking the outside loop, you can add time until you are attacked by hitting bumpers such as the ones in the forest(7), or you can hit the smash target(9) for a big attack. Normal attacks are at the sword ramp(11) and the shield ramp(10) will defend yourself. You can also go into the orcanium to cast spells if you have been in there before and collecting them. Entering the orcanium(4) with a battle either gives you one or a spell it seems. In the orcanium(4) you use the right flipper to push 4 wood plungers out to knock the ball into holes. Going there during battle without a spell will still let you push the ball in for extra points. After a battle, you can sometimes find loot in the orbital loop, or sometimes hitting the ball launcher at 8 seems to let you “purchase” new armors and whatnot. The yellow items are regular, blues are rare, and purples are EPIC! Hidden at 12 you will find a healer, in case you take too much damage. This is in case you health(14) is low and you need more time to take your opponents health(15) down.  After heavy battles, the princess(13) might reward you. Take the shield ramp(10) and the tube will take you to her. Use your flippers to select when to drop the ball onto her dressy roulette wheel. The best part of all of this is that the items you end up finding stay with Max every time you play. You’ll level up with the XP bar(16) and it controls several things in the game such as:

• Hit Point base (HP) which includes damage base and the opposing monster’s hit point and
• damage base
• The value of loot (the score you get when you sell an unused item)
• The possibility of encountering a monster with elemental resistance / weaknesses
• The possibility of finding an epic item
• The knight’s rank
• o Progression: Minor Knight → Knight → High Knight → Champion → Monster Hunter →
• Golden Knight → Arch Knight → Veteran Looter → Epic Hero
• The Jackpot value of the Princess Multiball
• The ball out bonus (XP bonus)
• The XP required for the next level

Ok, now you should know how to play the game. I know that sometimes it is hard to catch on to how irregular pinball games are played, so I hope you feel clued in on what this table is about. Zen Studios really did their best to create a new type of pinball game without leaving the pinball purists behind. I think this table is quite challenging and believe me when I say I did not spoil it for you in the least in this review. There is much, much more for you to discover on your own. In fact, you’ll discover how hard it is to hit the sword ramp and smash target. Well, I had difficulty in doing so at least. I played a local hotseat with my wife and I think she has taken down more enemies than I have. In fact, if multiplayer would keep a high score, she would own me on this game. Meanwhile, the playful wording of Max’s lines and the excellent uniqueness of the art distract me from these challenges and my shortcomings. Truly this table is Epic!

Epic Quest, is now available for download for Pinball FX2 on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for 240 MSP, Zen Pinball on PlayStation®Network for $2.49, Apple App®Store and Android Marketplace™ for $0.99.

Starting today you’ll be able to get your fix of nutty and batty gaming.  Today Gotham City Impostors is live for both Xbox Live and PSN following yesterdays release on the PC market. Gotham City Impostors allows average everyday citizens the chance to step up and fill the shoes of the local vigilante or villain. I’m not quite sure what happened to Batman or Joker, perhaps they are locked in battle somewhere. What I do know is that Gotham is free for the taking, for both sides. Whether you are playing as one of the Bats or one of the Jokerz, you’ll employ an unusual arsenal of weapons and devices to help your team control the game map.

If you hadn’t had a chance to get in on beta game-play, here is what you can be expecting. You’ll have your choice of guns, no need to be ethical here or you’ll be shot. While Batman and Joker usually have their own cash flow that provides them with tools and toys, you’ll have to make due with whatever you have. You can grapple your way across the map, roller-blade, or even hang glide. You’d better watch out for bear traps or other cleverly placed devices and don’t be surprised by a pipe bomb or two. This isn’t just all out death-match either. You’ll have to play nicely with your team and help capture objectives. Either you’ll be going after gas points that will eventually spew forth delicious death to your enemies, or transport a battery to a demoralizing device. Of course, be sure to kill everyone you meet in between those spots. Although there is no singing, this is still the most epic battle I’ve seen since the Sharks and Jets. It should run you about $15, I don’t know if anyone needs to hear about MSP anymore though.

It is fine to dress up, but leave the guns out of it OK?

Reverb Publishing has picked up Swedish based developer Coffee Stain Studios to publish the sequel to their first title, Sanctum. Reverb just struck it big by publishing the wildly popular Dungeon Defenders title virtually available on all formats. If you’re wondering what this means for Sanctum 2, it means that it too will be hitting consoles as well as the pc.  Sanctum itself sold over 300,000 copies just on Steam alone, so the spread of the formats bodes well for the studio.

Reverb Publishing (also known as Reverb Communications the popular PR company) is also fairly excited about the transition for the title. “We’re always searching for great games from passionate developers, particularly studios that have innovative ideas that get us excited to play them,” said Ted Lange, executive producer, Reverb Publishing. “Sanctum has been a huge success on Steam for Coffee Stain Studios, and bringing the next version to console players as well as the PC market is a great next step to share this unique experience. We all have logged quite a few hours with Sanctum and can definitively say that what Coffee Stain has in store for Sanctum 2 will blow the minds of Sanctum fans and new gamers alike.”

Coffee Stain Studios seems fairly excited about the deal as well. “With their combined public relations, marketing, sales and business development experience, Reverb Publishing has more than enough chops for us to be honored that they are publishing Sanctum 2,” said Anton Westbergh, producer and CEO for Coffee Stain Studios. “Reverb’s unique publishing model allowing us as the developer to fully retain our IP and keep the lion’s share of the revenue from the game made it a no-brainer. Their success with Dungeon Defenders proves they know how to take a digital title to market and make it a winner, and we can’t wait to see what they can do with Sanctum 2.”

I, for one, am excited to see how Reverb’s unique publishing model, which supports their developers, helps Coffee Stain Studios produce an even better version of their already popular game. The original already proved the effectiveness of a first person tower defense shooter and I cannot wait to see what is next. To learn more about Sanctum and whether or not you should be excited for a sequel, please read my review or play the game.

A week or two ago, I was browsing Reddit and came across a post from a developer who had some leftover codes for a game he had made with his friends. He was nice enough to pass a code to me as well as a few others. Feeling that no good deed deserves to go unnoticed, I felt that this game needed some light shone upon it. Behold to thy open eyes Cavemen VS Aliens.

Now before you get all gun ho on me, I don’t want you thinking of Cowboys & Aliens as that is a movie, has different letters in the title and was a complete waste of Daniel Craig’s talent. No, Cavemen VS Aliens is a simplistic RTS from the Xbox Live Indie Game section developed by WeAreColin. In the midst of working and being sick, I finally had a chance to play a few levels. Gameplay is broken down to this. There are four Pterodactyls. One carries cavemen to spots,One takes them back, one supplies them with rock and one with health. Each has a cool down time, so sometimes it is strategic to move men if you can’t heal them. You have to bring them to different zones to help capture the territory or defend it. Hold enough territory for a certain amount of time or kill all the attacking aliens and you win the round. Do I need to tell you that the aliens are bad and want turn the planet into a giant communication repeater that would kill all life? NO? Good!

Now I know what you are thinking, that this incredibly well drawn game sounds just too easy. Well I tell you that it is not and that I certainly struggled. As of right now, I have not made it very far at all, having only conquered the first three levels. My mission right now is to attack more points and, I think, leave the forest area. There are a few other types of environments and supposedly they affect gameplay, but I cannot tell you how yet. You see, even though I have a super powered caveman named Colin (the chief’s top hunter son who you can’t let die) I still seem to be overpowered. I haven’t figured out how many cavemen I need to placed in the zones before I attempt to take them over. Hopefully you do better. At least while doing so I am not looking at some horrendous art or listening to crappy music. No my friends, WeAreColin does not make you suffer visually or auditory.

So if you are thinking you want to pick this game up with a Pterodactyl of your own, swing by the Xbox Live Indie section and snag it for a $1 (80Msp if they haven’t changed the currency yet.) I found it fun and will continue to work towards redemption of my failure to complete it. Also, I’ve got my eye on the developer that dropped the loot in Reddit. He stated that besides being busy working on 100 player crowd games, he was about to release something for WP7. Ooh, mysterious.