General Discussion

Mafia II Developed by: 2K Czech Published by: 2K Games Platform: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC Players: 1 ESRB rating: M 17+ The Breakdown You’re Vito Scaletta. You find yourself back home in Empire Bay, after getting injured in World War II. Once back home, you realize some things have changed, while others haven’t. Your Mother and Sister haven’t changed one bit. However, your best friend from childhood, Joe Barbaro, most certainly has. Joe has a few things to show you, and you too will change after being introduced into the seedy underbelly of his newfound, Costa Nostra (mafia) world. Head over to the main site to check out the full review.

Developed by: Arrowhead Game Studios Published by: Paradox Interactive Platforms: PC Players: 1-4 Rated T (Teen) by the ESRB What happens when you combine the style and humor of Castle Crashers with gameplay reminiscent of Diablo? Magic happens. Or rather Magicka happens, to be more precise. That’s not to say that Magicka is very much like either of those games, rather it has a very distinct style of its own. But like Castle Crashers it is a stylish, humorous, and fun experience that can be played and enjoyed with friends, and like Diablo the game has very smooth, isometric gameplay where you can run around slaughtering hordes of monsters and fiends to your hearts …

Developed by: Arrowhead Studios Published by: Paradox Interactive Platforms: PC Players: 1-4 You already know we here at Gamercide love Magicka. But does the new DLC stand up to the greatness and originality of the main game, or will it just leave you with nightmarish Vietnam flashbacks? Magicka: Vietnam is a fairly small DLC. It consists of two new Challenge maps, and adds nothing to adventure mode. However one of the challenge modes is structured similarly to adventure mode, with three screens you must make your way through to complete the level. The other mode is a new arena with just one small area to face waves of the new enemy types just like the other arena…

<br> <br> Developed by: Uglysoft <br> Platforms: PC <br> Rated: Not rated by the ESRB (but would probably be rated M for its messed up and disturbing content in general) <br> <br> How many games let you slaughter kittens? Not many. Not that it’s a good thing, but they are good for easy experience points. Kitten slaughter aside, Mark Leung: Revenge of the ***** contains all manner of hilarious and disturbing content. From getting farted on by b*tchmonkeys, to using jellyfish penises to revive your fallen comrades, this is one very… different RPG. <br> <br> View the full article

<br> <br> Developer: Capcom, Eighting <br> Publisher: Capcom <br> Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360 <br> Players: 1 – 8 Players (Only 1-on-1 with 8 player lobbies) <br> Genre: Fighting <br> <br> For more than a decade fans of the Marvel Vs Capcom series have begged and pleaded for a follow-up to the wild and crazy fight fest that was Marvel Vs Capcom 2. With the release of Marvel Vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds’ release did everyone get what they wanted? Does round 3 of this legendary arcade staple live up to the hype? Read on fellow comic and fighting game fans to find out if we got what we wanted or are we still waiting for…

Monday Night Combat Developed by: Uber Entertainment Published by: Microsoft Games Studios Platforms: Xbox 360 exclusive (Xbox Live Arcade) Players: Singleplayer, On & Offline Co-op (up to 4 players), Online Multiplayer (up to 12 players) Rated T for Teen by the ESRB The Breakdown Bacon makes everything better, and gives this outstanding and genre bending class based third person shooter from Uber Entertainment that extra special sizzle! View the full review on the main site

Developed by: TaleWorlds Published by: Paradox Interactive Platforms: PC Players: 1/Multi ESRB: T Mount and Blade: With Fire and Sword is a stand-alone expansion to the acclaimed games Mount and Blade and Mount and Blade: Warband. Unlike the previous games With Fire and Sword is based on a historical novel of the same name by Polish author, Henryk Sienkiewicz. It has players enter into an ongoing war between five Eastern European factions during the 17th Century: The Polish Republic, The Tsardom of Moscow, The Kingdom of Sweden, The Crimean Khanate (early Turkey) and The Cossack Hetmanate (early Ukraine). Therein lies one of the greatest strengths of the game: the abili…

Developer: Zen Studios Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios Distributor: Microsoft Game Studios Platform: Xbox 360 (XBLA) Mode: Single player, Multiplayer I’m going to be honest I’ve never been a huge fan of pinball. I have never been good at it, no matter how hard I try. However, there was something about Pinball FX 2 that caught my eye. Be it the colorful tables, the licensed characters, or hope that this could be the pinball game that finally breaks me out of my funk for pinball. Did it succeed? Read on and let’s find out. View the full article

Developed by: Valve Corporation Published by: Valve Corporation Platforms: PC, Xbox 360, PS3 Players: 1-2 Rated E10+ by the ESRB Not only is the cake not a lie, but you can have seconds! Portal 2 is the sequel to the massively successful Portal, which quickly ascended to cult status, with many of its elements becoming memes that can be found on practically any gaming forum today. But does it live up to the charm and originality of the first game? Short answer: YES. Portal 2 is every bit as good as the first, and better in almost every way. From beginning to end, it had a much more cinematic feel to it, with more characters involved and much, MUCH larger set pieces…

Red Dead Redemption Developed by: Rockstar San Diego, Rockstar North Published by: Rockstar Games Players: 1 offline, 2-16 player online multiplayer Rated M (Mature) by the ESRB The Breakdown Rockstar is known for making massive, open, driving and shooting games. But what happens when they turn back the clock and make a game set in the early 1900s, when the West was still untamed, and the automobile had barely been invented? Was this bold move a good idea, or should Rockstar stick to making games set in the modern era? Find out in the rest of this review. View the full review

Developed by: Klei Entertainment Published by: Electronic Arts Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, PC Players: 1, with 2 player local co-op Rated M (Mature) by the ESRB We gamers love violence. It’s a well known fact. So a game about a dude running around shanking fools and cutting them up with a chainsaw already has enough to appeal to the average hardcore gamer. But is it just an overindulgent cash in, or is it a finely crafted outlet for your murderous rage? As it turns out, it’s both. It’s a delightfully overindulgent outlet for your murderous rage. And it has a fairly good story as well. Sure it was published by EA and released for the usual $15, but the design behi…

<br> <br> Developer: Double Fine Productions <br> Publisher: THQ <br> Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360 <br> Players: 1-Player <br> Genre: Adventure/Puzzle <br> <br> Tim Schafer and the merry band of misfits at Double Fine are known for their originality in games. Stacking is not your typical puzzle/adventure game, but it is completely infused with Double Fine’s unique and quirky style and humor. Fans of the developer are used to this and have fallen in love with it, but the real question is, can it bring in a whole new breed of fan? <br> <br> View the full review

Published by: Beatshapers / tastyplay.com Platform: PSN Players: 1 Mix Breakout, pinball, and action-puzzling and you will get Stardrone, Beatshapers’ Playstation Move enabled (DualShock controls are available as well.) foray in to Playstation Network gaming. How does StarDrone stack up against the multitude of action-puzzlers out there? Keep reading and see what makes this one special. View the full article

<br> <br> Developed by: Runic Games <br> XBLA version published by: Microsoft Game Studios <br> Platforms: Xbox Live Arcade, Microsoft Windows, Mac OSX <br> Players: 1 <br> Rated T (Teen) by the ESRB <br> Link to Xbox Live Marketplace to purchase! <br> <br> Ahhhh, the famous “dungeon crawl”. A gaming experience which basically boils down to three elements. Explore a dungeon, kill everything in sight and grab as much loot as you can possibly carry. Nothing left around you to kill? Go deeper into the dungeon, kill more dudes and snatch up more stuff! While simple in premise, the dungeon crawl can be extremely s…

Developed by: Vogster Entertainment Published by: Vogster Entertainment Platforms: Xbox Live Arcade, Playstation Portable Players: 1 – 2 (including online co-op) Rated T (Teen) by the ESRB Vogster Entertainment invites players to “Rage Off The Page” with their side scrolling beat-em-up title Unbound Saga. Making its second debut appearance, originally offered as a downloadable title via the Playstation Network for the PSP handheld system, Unbound Saga is now available for gamers to experience on the Xbox 360 console on Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) at a cost of 800MS points ($10). View the full article

Developed By: Ninja Bee Published By: Microsoft Game Studios Platforms: Xbox Live Arcade Price: 800 MS points Release Date: December 22, 2010 Players: Single player, 1-2 players same console, 1-4 players on XBL Genre: City Building ESRB Rating: E for Everyone The Keflings have returned and this time three kingdoms need your help! Do you have what it takes to rebuild the kingdoms and make a World of Keflings? Find out in Ninja Bee’s latest entry into the Kefling series, World of Keflings. View the full article Sorry guys...the images stretched this review out. Click the linky for the review

Zeno Clash: Ultimate Edition Developed by: ACE Team Published by: Atlus Players: 1 offline, 2 player online co-op Rated T (Teen) by the ESRB In an age where there is a clear division between first person shooters and brawlers, Zeno Clash blurs the line in one of the strangest and most unique games that has come out in a long time. The setting and characters are some of the strangest you’ll see in a video game. But is it too strange? Is the game a brilliant combination of disparate elements, or just a patchwork of failure? View the full review

Developer: Bit Barons Players: Single Player Genre: Puzzle Platforms: PC and Mac Release Date: January 27, 2011 Price: $13.99 on the Official Website for Astroslugs Easy to Navigate Menus New developer Bit Barons is making their PC and Mac debut game with Astroslugs. This cute, vivid, and vibrant puzzle game has what it takes to make Bit Barons a household name, but the question is, can Bit Barons deliver? In Astroslugs, you play as a small purple slug who is traveling the universe activating slugballs in the form of ancient glyphs in order to fuel the slugs space ship. Easy Does It.... The slugballs are found by traveling the universe and putting them together by …

Developed by: Blue Fang Games Players: 1 Platforms: Apple iPad (Requires iOS 3.2 or later) Rated: 9+ (Frequent/Intense Cartoon or Fantasy Violence) As the player you control the females (and sometimes the lazy male) of a lion pride as they stock and kill prey to feed the pride. It’s simple, it’s fun, it’s easy to play, and hard to master. At a price of $4.99 from the iTunes App store some players may feel it’s a bit steep of a price since the average App runs around $0.99 -$2.99. Well this is far from an average App. It’s difficult me for to review or recommend games for mobile platforms such as smart phones and tablets. Most of these “games” can be classified under time …

In what could be one of the either worst or smartest moves in online video game history, all signs are pointing to the fact that within a few months Activision might be introducing a stand alone version of Call of Duty for pay to play online multiplayer use only. According to statements made by analysts Wedbush Securities, they expect this to occur in “first quarter of 2011″. “Activision remains a top pick, primarily due to the company’s potential to create and monetize a second tier of multiplayer online gaming for its Call of Duty franchise… We expect this to occur during the first quarter of 2011.” No official comment has come from Activision’s camp, but gamers have ex…

<br> <br> It appears that the story of the characters from Final Fantasy XIII may not be over. Spotted by superannuation was the registration of domain name for a new website that is being called at the moment, “whois.domaintools.com/finalfantasy13-2game.com“. The domain name was registered on January 11 under the alias “Coporation Service Company” which Square Enix has used in the past for websites for other Square Enix titles. Final Fantasy X, the story of Tidus and Yuna was the last Final Fantasy game to get a direct sequel and many fans were hoping that it would remain that way considering that FFX-2 was almost a complete disaster. Here’s to hoping that …

Some eyes spied and took a snapshot of what appears to be a new addition to Microsoft’s hands free 360 add on, Kinect. “Avatar Kinect” was displayed backstage on a widescreen at CES 2011 in Las Vegas. What do you think? via Glimpse Dog View the full article

F2P games or Free to Play games have seen much success in the world of PC gaming especially lately with social games such as Mafia Wars and Farmville where you can play the game for free, but in order to enhance your gaming experience you need to purchase special items or upgrades. How would you like F2P games to come to Xbox Live? According to IGN that might be happening very soon. A trusted source close to IGN is claiming that Xbox Live will be adding these style of games soon which will “allow publishers and developers to release games through the service for free where users can then purchase additional content, such as weapons, experience points, in-game currency, …

Can you imagine a world where video games series like Grand Theft Auto, BioShock, Call of Duty, and World of Warcraft are all owned by the same juggernaut publisher? If the recent rumors about Activision's plans to acquire Take-Two are true, then this could happen. "There are very strong rumors amongst people at a very senior level within the global business," an anonymous senior executive told MCV regarding the supposed deal. "But they're not much more than that at the moment – they are just rumors," the executive continued. "And, of course, given Activision's news this week, everyone is now looking to see what their next move is. But you can definitely put two and two t…

If the recent filings of an FCC document are correct than it appears that Fox Entertainment will be heading to video game consoles. According to the Gamasutra who posted a link to the FCC document, this service will be a pay to watch television service and is rumored to be either “a cable, FIOS, or satellite company in the US.” Hulu and Netflix are already offered on the current generation of consoles leading many to wonder how this rumor would impact the use of those services as well as what consoles would get this rumored pay to watch television service. via Gamasutra Tweet This Post View the full article