We're about three weeks out from Gears of War 3's release date. We are nearly frothing with anticipation; it's probably the biggest co-op launch in this very crowded fall season. As the wait shortens, new details emerge, and today, Epic announced that a "Season Pass" would be available beginning launch day, September 20.
This week in co-op... we actually have some new game releases! Oh, thanks be to the video game gods! We have looked into the abysmal void that was the summer release schedule and reeled back from the brink of oblivion! We have some downloadable titles out this week, along with a real life, honest to goodness, full retail title. Get your gaming in now while you can. Hope you've caught up on your backlog. September 6th is a week away, and with it comes the Fall gamesplosion in all of it's time leeching glory.
Gearbox Software was showing off Borderlands 2 at PAX Prime this year, showcasing some of the tweaks and changes the game has taken on. The line for the game was definitely one of the longest of the show, with wait times approaching 5 hours. Keep in mind - that's not the wait to PLAY the game - that's to watch a 15 minute developer driven demo in a small theater. People are definitely excited for this one - and so are we.
Media Molecule continues to pump out a steady stream of downloadable content for LittleBigPlanet 2, just as they did for its predecessor. On September 14, LBP2 receives its largest DLC pack to date: ‘Move Pack: Rise of the Caklings.’ I don’t know what a Cakling is, but I get the impression that we’re better off if they stay down low instead of rising.
Castle Crashers is probably the best side-scrolling beat-em-up in recent memory, if not all time. The XBLA version just got a little better as The Behemoth has finally published a second title update, fixing many of the game’s longstanding issues. The update also introduces a new piece of DLC, the Pink Knight pack. And it’s free! (The Pink Knight has been available as paid DLC in the PSN version since February.)
A new Cursed Crusade trailer recently came out which highlights the game's fighting system. Sure, it may be in German, but the language of hacking, slashing, and otherwise maiming knows no boundaries, as far as I'm concerned. The trailer shows various methods of stabbing and slashing with swords, axes, and spears, much to the chagrin of the enemies. For those of you who are faint of heart, be warned that some of the combat is quite brutal - but oh, in the most satisfying bloodspurty way.
In case you were looking for a way to fill up your entire XBox 360 hard drive with downloadable co-op content, Xbox Live Marketplace's summer deals have you covered. Mission packs for older games? Check. New Arcade releases? Check. There's only one caveat - some of these will expire soon, so don't twiddle your thumbsticks. Well...do twiddle your thumbsticks, but only after you've browsed the below list.
Welcome to Beyond Co-Op, a weekly piece that talks about industry stories that may or may not be related to co-op gaming.
Raise the roof, fellow lovers of all things guns! We brought the chips-and-dip, and DICE's BattleBlog brought the deets-and-screens on Battlefield 3's gun customization. Keeping in mind that much of what you earn carries from co-op to multiplayer - and vice versa - it's exciting to see some real info on the weapons you'll be using.
The Zombies lore of Call of Duty: Black Ops has come a long way. Adding more difficulty and more personality with each map pack, Treyarch has built a legend within a legend - a game mode that will be talked about for years, and a backstory that most gamers love to play over and over again.
It's a rather quiet weekend for those of us who weren't able to make it to PAX this year. While those lucky attendees will be playing the latest, coolest games, meeting interesting people, and picking up lots of swag, the rest of us poor shmucks are... well, poor shmucks. There's definitely a feeling of the calm before the storm, both of the upcoming fall rush and some hurricane you may have heard of.
Shortly after picking up an HTC MyTouch 4G Slide and realizing that I could finally run some high-res games on my phone, I hit the market and downloaded Dungeon Defenders: First Wave (which is now free for Android systems). Unfortunately a bug is preventing me from actually playing it, but while I wait I can indulge in its big brother - Dungeon Defenders - this October.
