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Mafia II

Posted by GameIsLyf Monday, August 30, 2010 0 comments




































Developer(s): 2K Czech
Massive Bear Studios (PS3)
Publisher(s): 2K Games 1C
Designer(s): Lead Designer
Daniel Vávra
Pavel Brzák
Writer(s): Daniel Vávra
Platform(s): Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, OnLive
Release date(s): NA 24 August 2010
AUS 26 August 2010
EU 27 August 2010
Genre(s): Third-person shooter, action-adventure
Mode(s): Single-player
Rating(s): BBFC: 18
ESRB: M
OFLC: MA15+
Media: Blu-ray Disc, DVD, download

Mafia II is a third-person action-adventure video game, the sequel to Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven. It is developed by 2K Czech, previously known as Illusion Softworks, and is published by 2K Games. Originally announced in August 2007 at the Leipzig Games Convention, it was released on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows in August 2010.

Gameplay

The game is set from 1943 to 1951 in Empire Bay (the name is a reference to New York's state nickname "The Empire State"), a fictional city based on San Francisco and New York City, with influences from Chicago and Detroit. The game features a completely open-ended game map of 10 square miles. No restrictions are included from the start of the game. There are around 50 vehicles in the game, as well as licensed music from the era.

Many firearms from the previous return, such as the Thompson submachine gun, the Colt 1911 and a pump-action shotgun. As seen in screenshots, new WWII-era weapons like the MP 40, the M3 submachine gun, and the Beretta Model 38 also appearance in the game as well as the MG 42.

Interacting with objects in the environment involves two action buttons- a standard action and a "violent" action (for example, when stealing a car, the player may choose to either pick its lock or break the window glass), used in context-sensitive situations. A map is included as in the original Mafia game. The checkpoint system has been completely overhauled. New controls include a cover system that allows the player to hide behind objects (such as generators, walls and large crates) to shoot enemies, rather than just using a crouch while behind an object.

It has been stated by 2K Czech that the game's cutscenes are created by the game engine, in real-time, rather than pre-rendered cutscenes.

Synopsis

Mafia II is a gritty drama which chronicles the rise of World War II veteran Vito Scaletta, the son of Sicilian immigrants. As the game progresses, Vito will join the Falcone Crime Family and become a made man. There are 15 chapters in the game, connected into one storyline.



PlayStation 3 version controversy

The PlayStation 3 version became subject to controversy on 2K's Mafia II forums when 2K's interactive marketing manager Elizabeth Tobey stated that the PlayStation 3 version would be missing certain features that were present in the PC and Xbox 360 versions including three dimensional grass, pools of blood forming under dead bodies and realistic cloth physics. These features were said to be present in earlier builds of the game, but had to be removed to increase the game's frame rate.

Upon release the PS3 version received the same or higher review scores than the Xbox version from Destructoid and Nowgamer (sites that review the game on multiple platforms rather than the normal practice of reviewing a single platform). and also the Metacritic rating places both version on the same score of 74/100. although the GameRankings review aggregator has the Xbox version 4 points ahead of the PS3 version.

Reference to Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven

In the original game the main protagonist Thomas Angelo is shown to be gunned down at the end of the game in front of his house. It is revealed in Chapter 14: Stairway to Heaven in Mafia 2 that Vito and Joe are the two who "whack" him. This is further proven by the use of the exact same red car in both cases and nearly identical cut scenes.

Minimum system requirements

Operating System: Windows XP SP2/Vista/7
CPU: Intel Pentium D 3 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 3600+ (Dual Core) or higher
Memory: 1.5 GB
Hard Drive Space: 8 GB of free space
Graphics Hardware: Nvidia 8600 / ATI Radeon HD 2600
Sound Hardware: DirectX 9.0c


Recommended system requirements

Operating System: Windows XP SP2/Vista/7
CPU: Intel Quad Core 2 Quad 2.4 GHz
Memory: 2.0 GB
Hard Drive Space: 10 GB of free space
Graphics Hardware: Nvidia GeForce 9800 GTX / ATI 3870
Sound Hardware: DirectX 9.0c

Network: Internet connection required for online activation

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Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light

Posted by GameIsLyf Tuesday, August 17, 2010 0 comments

Developer(s): Crystal Dynamics
Publisher(s): Square Enix
Director(s): Daniel Neuberger
Series: Tomb Raider
Platform(s): PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, Microsoft Windows
Release date(s): August 18, 2010[show]
Xbox 360 (Arcade)
August 18, 2010
PlayStation 3 (PSN)
September 28, 2010
PC (Steam)
September 28, 2010
Genre(s): Isometric platform, Action
Mode(s): Two-player co-op, Single-player
Rating(s): ESRB: T
Media: digital download

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is an upcoming isometric platform action video game developed by Crystal Dynamics and published by Square Enix for the PC, PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade as part of the Tomb Raider series for digital download. Unlike previous games in the series, the game does not carry the Tomb Raider brand and will have a heavy emphasis on cooperative gameplay, both online or locally.

In the multiplayer, players will take the role as either Lara Croft or a 2,000 year old Mayan warrior named Totec. They will have to work together in order to stop the evil spirit Xolotl and retrieve the Mirror of Smoke. A single-player campaign mode will be available that will not include the non-playable character AI following or helping Lara. Guardian of Light will use the same game engine as Tomb Raider: Underworld, and will include modern visuals and physics. The video game was shown at E3 2010 on 14 June and will be released for the Xbox Live Arcade on 18 August 2010, but online co-op gameplay will not be enabled until 28 September, the day of the PC and PlayStation Network release.


Gameplay
The game will be a departure from the main series as being a third person adventure game. Instead it will be a non-linear "arcade-inspired" action game played from an isometric viewpoint using a fixed camera. The game also features cooperative gameplay, and players will take control of either Lara or an ancient Mayan tribesman named Totec. Each playable character will possess unique weapons and skills. Lara will retain her dual pistols with infinite ammo and a grappling hook. She will be able to use her grappling hook to make it across difficult gaps and Totec can ride along. Totec will carry spears which can be used as a weapon and on the environment. Both characters will carry unlimited "bombs" that can be dropped and detonated with a press of a button.

Tombs can be explored and some will have "booby-trap puzzles" to solve. The game will not have any loading times.

Guardian of Light may be played with a single player, and a second player may join at any time, whether online or locally. In the single-player campaign the only playable character is Lara; Totec will not be available to assist. Lara will have all the tools required along with new abilities to make it through her own unique adventure. The puzzles and bits of the map will also be different. Creative director Daniel Neuberger said that this was because he did not want the player to get frustrated by having to rely on AI. The campaign will reportedly feature up to eight to ten hours of gameplay.


Multiplayer
In multiplayer, teamwork will have a heavy emphasis on gameplay. Lara will be able to use Totec's shield as a portable platform as he holds it above his head to make it a difficult height. She may balance on a stack spears that Totec throws in the wall; the spears will not be able to hold Totec's weight. Totec can tightrope walk using Lara's grappling rope. As the game progresses, Totec will learn from Lara how to use modern weapons, such as rifles. When enemies are killed, point scores will appear above their bodies—red or blue—depending on whether Lara or Totec did the damage. There will also be pick-ups, such as gems, scattered throughout the levels that will increase the player's score. Receiving high scores in each level will reward the player with unlockables. To add competitiveness into the game there will only be a limited number of enemies and gems in the world so the player must beat their partner to kill and grab them all. The multiplayer mode will reportedly feature up to six to eight hours of gameplay, depending on teamwork.

Characters
Guardian of Light will star Lara Croft, a fictional English archaeologist and Totec, an ancient Maya warrior and leader of the Army of Light. Both will be playable characters. An evil spirit called Xolotl will be the antagonist. Some of his minions that he makes come to life will include: giant spiders, demon like creatures, and huge trolls. Lara will again be voiced by Keeley Hawes and Totec, Lara's partner, is newly voiced by Jim Cummings.

Minimum System Requirements:
Operating System : Microsoft Windows XP / Windows Vista / Windows 7
Processor : Intel Pentium IV at 3.0 GHz / AMD at 2.5 GHz
Video Card : 128 MB VRAM – NVIDIA GeForce 6800GT or better / ATI Radeon 1300XT or better
Memory : 1 GB RAM (XP) / 2 GB RAM (Vista)
Hard Disk : 7 GB of free Hard Drive space
Sound : DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card and drivers
DirectX : 9.0c
Controls : Keyboard & Mouse
Installation : DVD-ROM Drive

Recommended System Requirements:
Intel Processor: Core 2 Duo E6600 2.4GHz
AMD Processor: Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 5200+
Nvidia Graphics Card: GeForce 7950 GT
ATI Graphics Card: Radeon X1800 Series 256MB
RAM Memory: 2 GB
Hard Disk Space: 7 GB
Direct X: 9

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Castlevania: Harmony of Despair

Posted by GameIsLyf 0 comments

Developer(s): Konami
Publisher(s): Konami
Designer(s): Koji Igarashi (producer)
Kozima Yoshihumi (artist)
Series: Castlevania
Platform(s): Xbox Live Arcade
Release date(s): August 4, 2010
Genre(s): Action-adventure game
Mode(s): Single-player, Multiplayer
Rating(s): CERO: B
ESRB: T
OFLC: M
PEGI: 12+

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair is a 2D action-adventure game for the Xbox Live Arcade. The game features a new map system that allows players to see the current quest map's entire setup, as well as up to six players at once over Xbox Live. The game was first leaked as an OFLCA Rating on May 27, 2010, then officially announced for Xbox Live Summer of Gaming 2010. Later in the year, the game was unveiled as a playable demo in the Konami booth at the E3 Convention of 2010. It was released on August 4, 2010.

Pointed out by 1up.com, Castlevania: Harmony of Despair may be released on Sony's PlayStation Network if the game sells well on Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade.


Gameplay
Gameplay includes a Co-Op mode, which plays like previous 2D Castlevania game's "Boss Rush Mode", but with several rooms and items to find, culminating in a boss to fight. It also includs a Versus Mode, with battle occurring between players. Some bosses are able to attack players on their way to the fight.

The game features playable characters such as Alucard, Soma Cruz, Jonathan Morris, Shanoa and Charlotte Aulin, all from previous 2D Castlevania games.

All of the characters include eight palette swaps to accommodate players that wish to be the same character. They will be joined by other characters through downloadable content, when released. The characters have their own signature attacks and skills to use in battle. An all-new map system allows real-time zooming in and out of the current stage, which will not stop gameplay and even allow players to play with the map zoomed out. The game can also be played in high definition (alluding to the initials of the title: Castlevania HD.) Other features in the game include a Book placed in certain parts of a level, which is the only way to change items and equipment mid-game. Consumable items such as potions, however, will be scrolled through and consumed using specified buttons on the controller. Also, the experience point system from most newer 2D Castlevania games has been taken out, reducing players to finding weapons and equipment as the only means of assisting the character, and levelling up sub-weapons and spells as a means of character growth.

Even that might be acceptable if the journey through each castle were more exciting. It's a trudge, though. One of the first things I noticed about Harmony of Despair was that regardless of which character I chose - players are given a choice of five Castlevania luminaries including Alucard and Soma Cruz - my hero was in no hurry to get anywhere. I bent that analogue stick as far as I could, and yet the little sprite wouldn't speed up. My high school running coach used to make us do a strength drill where we ran laps in six inches of water; that's what it feels like to move around in this game.

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Monday Night Combat

Posted by GameIsLyf Sunday, August 15, 2010 0 comments

Developer(s): Uber Entertainment
Publisher(s): Microsoft Games Studios
Platform(s): Xbox 360
Release date(s): August 11, 2010
Genre(s): Third-person shooter
Mode(s): Single-player, co-op (2-player splitscreen, 2-4 online), online multiplayer: (6 vs 6)
Rating(s): ESRB: T
Media: Download

Monday Night Combat is a downloadable third-person shooter video game exclusive to the Xbox Live Arcade developed by Uber Entertainment.

Premise
Set in the future, two teams of cloned soldiers battle to destroy the other team's 'Money Ball' as a competitive sport.

Gameplay

The game blends third person shooting with classes in the style of Team Fortress 2 with team-based objectives in the style of Defense of the Ancients and similar games.

There are 2 Gametypes available

Crossfire:
Teams of six battle each other to destroy the others Moneyball. To do so they must make sure their robots get to the other team's money ball. Only the robots can damage the money ball at first by damaging their shield but after the sheilds are down all players can also contribute.

Blitz:
Is where 4 players protect their moneyball against waves of robots. This gametype can also be played alone, 2 player splitscreen or 4 player online.

Bullseye The Mascot
Bullseye, the mascot of Monday Night Combat, is a randomly chosen super fan that can be found in the middle of the arena dancing and moving around. When he appears, players can attack him to make him drop money, which they can then pick up and use for skills, turrets, bots, jump pads, etc.

Bacon
Bacon is sometimes dropped when attacking Bullseye the mascot or destroying a JackBot. When the bacon is collected, the player will be able to run faster and shoot farther. They will also do more damage and have a larger clip. These effects continue until the player dies and is re-spawned or the game is over.


Character classes:

Each of the six classes has two weapons equipped as well as four skills, one of which is passive.

Assault
A standard shooter class, equipped with assault rifle and grenade launcher, adept as named at pushing the assault

Skills:

* F.L.Y, a jetpack which allows the assault to move horizontally in the air for a set length.
* Jet Charge, attack like a rugby tackle.
* a remote detonation explosive.

Tank
Wielding a 'Jet Engine Gun' (firing a stream of heat like a superpowered flamethrower) and a laser railgun, this class has the highest all out attack power

Skills:

* Jet Charge, a ramming attack that can knock enemies down.
* Stun Grenade that can be upgraded into a Product Bomb to distract players and stun robots and turrets.
* Plant, the ability to entrench Himself like the Gunner

Sniper
With the eponymous sniper rifle and a submachine gun

Skills:

* Flak
* Traps
* Grapple

Upgrades

* Supa Sniper: Allows the Sniper Rifle to shoot through multiple enemies.

Support
Sporting a Heal/Hurt Gun (A gun that heals bots turrets and pros, and whose secondary function drains health from opposing bots turrets and pros) and a shotgun, this class both heals and places defensive turrets

Skills:

* Hack, hack turrets to increase there distance and damage. The hack can also be used to turn hostile turrets friendly at level 2+.
* FireBase, A mini turret. (on the highest level regenerates your health when you stand close to it)
* Strike, Throws an airstrike beacon. A series of bombs will strike the area targeted by the airstrike beacon.

Gunner
Equipped with a massive minigun and secondary mortars

Skills:

* Slamma, a ground stomp inducing a blast wave that can stun enemies
* Grabbing enemies and bashing them face first into the ground
* Plant, the ability to entrench and become a human turret

Assassin
With a dagger and shurikens.

Skills:

* Sprint, The ability to run really fast for short periods of time
* Cloak, The ability to be invisible for short periods of time
* Smoke Bomb, a bomb that provides cover and stuns enemies while greatly increasing the Assassin's jump height for a very short time


Upgrades

* Katana: upgrade for the dagger

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Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (2010)

Posted by GameIsLyf Friday, July 30, 2010 0 comments


Developer: Criterion Games,Exient (Wii)

Publisher:Electronic Arts

Series:Need for Speed

Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii

Release date: NA November 16, 2010,EU November 19, 2010

Genre:Racing

Mode: Single-player, multiplayer

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit has been described as a "revolutionary" addition to the Need for Speed franchise and is scheduled for release in North America on November 16, 2010, and in Europe on November 19. Criterion Games, the developer behind the Burnout series, is the latest studio to take on the Need for Speed franchise with Hot Pursuit. Following on from Slightly Mad Studio's racing sim Need for Speed: Shift, Hot Pursuit will return to the arcade gameplay of the original games in the series. At its core, it's cops versus racers--one player chases, the other tries to get away--which is wrapped in all the style, explosiveness, and online-centric features we've come to expect from the studio.




Gameplay:

Hot Pursuit goes back to the Need for Speed series' roots and takes on the gameplay style of earlier "Hot Pursuit"-titles in the Need for Speed franchise with exotic cars and high-speed police chases. It is primarily inspired by the original Need for Speed on 3DO. Hot Pursuit lets the player play as either a cop or a racer and will feature a full career mode for both roles. The relationship between the cops and racers is described as "a dog chasing down a rabbit" with the cops being more powerful compared to the racers. Each side has several power-ups including calling for roadblocks and radar jamming.[6] Hot Pursuit also features a new social interaction system called "Autolog" described as "Facebook for the game".[5] The game features both single-player and multiplayer game modes with up to eight players; as an option to live multiplayer racing, player can post records and achievements on the Autolog-feed for friends to see, which they then can try to beat. Autolog also contains an experience system called "Bounty". So far the only game mode revealed is "Interceptor 1 vs 1", where one cop chases one racer, but more game modes are to be revealed.

The driving model of the game is described as "fun and accessible", meaning for example that the player should be able to pick up the controller and drift around a corner at 200 miles per hour (320 km/h) after 10 seconds of playing the game. Its not as unrealistic as Burnout Paradise, but far from a simulator. All cars in Hot Pursuit are licensed real-world supercars, and the carlist is described as "all the cars you dreamed of driving, in the way you dreamed of driving them". Most cars will be available to both racers and cops, but a few will be exclusive to each side.Also exclusively featured in the Hot Pursuit is the Porsche 918 Spyder. Ferrari however, last seen in a Shift DLC-pack but notably absent from all other Need for Speed games since Hot Pursuit 2, will also be absent of Hot Pursuit. Other features include the player being able to add custom soundtracks to the game.

Last Words:

EA has given release dates for the game as November 16, 2010 for North America, and on November 19, 2010 in Europe. There will also be a Wii version, although it will be developed by Exient. Be sure to keep an eye on gameislyf.blogspot.com for more on Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit as we get it, as well as all the coverage from the show direct from Los Angeles.

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Hydro Thunder Hurricane

Posted by GameIsLyf Wednesday, July 28, 2010 0 comments

Hydro Thunder Hurricane is racing game.Remember Yaris for Xbox Live Arcade? No? Good. It was undeniably the low point for downloadable racing games on Xbox 360. Finally XBLA gets something to wash the taste from your mouth for good: Hydro Thunder Hurricane. Upstart developer Vector Unit didn't actually start out making a Hydro Thunder title, but Microsoft liked what it saw, licensed the rights to HT and made the decision to resurrect the franchise.

For the uninitiated, Hydro Thunder was an arcade game from the late nineties that drew in crowds with its transforming, jet-powered speedboats and courses that felt inspired by amusement park thrill rides. Hydro Thunder Hurricane doesn't deviate from that blueprint, and while gaming hardware has changed, fun hasn't. And Vector Unit was clearly keeping that at the forefront in designing Hurricane.



Powerboat racers are, in this day and age, not particularly plentiful, so you are a little rusty for your first couple of races, but the variety of boats and their noticeable handling differences helped you get your sea legs back pretty quick. Before long you are thundering through the likes of Asgard, a monster-filled island, and Tsunami Bowl, a wild, man-made venue that's built purely for speed.

once you re-familiarized yourself with the basic gameplay (including the ever-important collecting and using of boost, and boost jumping) you are having a blast. The tracks are white-knuckle rides, brimming with their own personality, dynamic set pieces and particular challenges, not to mention a wealth of shortcuts.

You really like the point system that's used in unlocking more courses, boats, paint jobs and challenges. It's very much like the one used by Split/Second, one of your favorite modern racers. Points are awarded for landing in the top three of each race, and the races can be re-entered to earn more (and, if necessary, place higher). There's something really satisfying about checking the post-race results, watching the points get tallied and seeing various unlocks pop up on screen, even when you don't take gold. It's a nigh-constant stream of gratification in Hurricane.



At the same time, You can't really draw a comparison to the full-price, big-budget likes of Split/Second when talking about the visuals. Don't get us wrong. It's not a bad looking game, it's just not at the head of the pack. It's fast and vibrant, but the water is an undeniably important part of a boat racing game could have looked a lot more realistic given the 360's capabilities, ditto for the lighting.

On offer apart from the single races are the speed and precision of Ringmaster, which challenges the players. As its name suggests race through rings, and Gauntlet, which litters the course with exploding barrels that have to be avoided. Lumped together with Tournament modes that collect several smaller events, they make for fun additions that definitely give Hurricane staying power, especially with leaderboard junkies.



But it's when racing against other opponents that the experience is at its best, riding in their wakes to "draft" them and boost jumping over them. The AI competitors offer a decent challenge, although more than a few times you caught them getting lost in more wide-open sections of some courses. Funny enough, these were spots where you would also gotten stuck, so maybe they're more human than most computer-controlled opponents. Not-so-funny: The announcer / co-pilot who's devoid of any genuine enthusiasm and just will not shut up about the fact that you really, truly should use your boost. The online experience , which includes straight-up races and a team-based "Rubber Duck" mode, in which two players are said duckies and the other racers are out to stop 'em seems to be about what you'd expect (our ability to test them was limited, this being pre-release code and all).

This is a great, content-rich title that truly puts the "arcade" in Xbox Live Arcade. There are better retail racers, but Hydro Thunder Hurricane is a dynamite download.

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