Spec Ops steps up to The Line with a release date
After many years or being pushed back and rescheduled, Spec Ops: The Line has finally received a solid release date. Today, Take-Two have announced the that Spec Ops will be crossing the finish line on June 26th as well as revealing details of a Premium Edition. The previously mentioned “Premium Edition” will feature a variety of multiplayer bonus content to folks who pre-order the game from “participating retailers” (none are listed as of yet).
If that isn’t enough for you, part of the “Premium Edition’s” content is getting access to the “FUBAR pack,” containing various multiplayer customization options (“unique and visually distinct items” … to everyone who pre-orders the game). Additionally, the content includes an AK-47 unlock and an Officer Class promotion at rank one, as well as double XP for the first week of online play. Take-Two are certainly drawing a line in the sand, if you pre-order you’re likely to be on the winning side.
So there you have it, Spec Ops: The Line. I was lucky enough to be in the closed Beta that took place sometime last year and I can safely say that it’s not bad, not bad at all.
More Final Fantasy XIII-2 DLC On The Horizon
Square Enix have confirmed that the next DLC pack for Final Fantasy XIII-2 will be in the form of an interactive episode called ‘Sazh: Heads or Tails?’ which will be released on 28thFebruary via Xbox LIVE (400 Microsoft Points) and on 29th February on PSN (£2.99)
This new episode provides players with the chance to take control of Sazh, one of the protagonists from Final Fantasy XIII, in a story that runs in parallel with the narrative of XIII-2. Upon completing the storyline of the new episode, the player is rewarded with the option of adding Sazh to their party. The downloadable content also includes two new card games, “Chronobind” and “Serendipity Poker ” that are added to the Casino area of Serendipity which is available in the game from Chapter 2 onwards.
Additional outfits for both Noel and Serah will also be made available next week. Noel’s ‘Spacetime Guardian’ outfit and Serah’s ‘Beachwear’ outfit will go on sale on the 21st February via Xbox LIVE for 240 Microsoft Points, and on the 22nd February via PSN for £1.59. The player has the ability to access the outfits at any point in the game within the main menu.
Back to the Future: Ep. 1 is Free for the iPad
Right now, and for a limited time only, Back to the Future: Episode 1 is free for the iPad on the iTunes store. That not enough for you? How about all other subsequent episodes receiving discounts? Now episodes 2 – 5 are $2.99 each, bargain!
It’s sad to say that, back in October, the iPad versions of Back to the Future had issues with its graphics and other irritating bugs. However, after substantial updates the game appears to be in tip top shape and up and running at 88 MPH… too easy? I thought so too. But on a serious note, everybody likes free stuff right? I mean c’mon, it’s free!
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, coming to the 3DS eShop this week!
Joined by Go Series: Undead Storm and Successfully Leaning Mathematics 4, Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 will bring back memories of the ol’ GameBoy classic.
I myself used to play this, alot. It was one of those games which was different, since Mario was not the main character, but still maintaned that fun factor!
You can download it for £3.60 on the eShop. The story follows after Super Mario Land 2, where Wario failed to steal Mario’s castle. The main objective here is to collect as many coins so Wario can build his own castle, pretty grand!
Metal Gear Solid 3DS Demo Available this Thursday!
Another demo to hit our 3DS’, Metal Gear Solid: The Snake Eater 3D will be available for your 3DS’ this thursday.
The mission you’ll be playing during this demo is a stealth mission through the jungle.
You’ll need to utilise both Camouflage and sneaky skills as you take down your enemies in a Russian Jungle!
Metal Gear Solid: The Snak Eater 3D is set to be released on March 8th 2012
Final Fantasy XIII-2 ‘Opponent: Lightning & Amodar’ DLC
With the release of Final Fantasy XIII-2, the first of many DLC packs have arrived for us to enjoy with the launch of ‘Opponent: Lightning & Amodar’, now available for purchase on Xbox LIVE (240 Microsoft Points) and on PSN (£1.59).
This downloadable ‘Coliseum Battle’ allows players to pit their strength and determination against Lieutenant Amodar, a member of Cocoon’s specialist military division called the Guardian Corps; and Lightning, heroine of Final Fantasy XIII and previous member of the same unit. Players are provided a rare opportunity to battle the duo, where defeating them also allows the player to add both characters to their party in XIII-2′s campaign.
In addition, the bow weapon for Serah called “Azrael” created through collaboration between Square Enix and Microsoft, is also now available exclusively for the Xbox 360 for a very modest 80 Microsoft Points.
NeverDead: DLC Inbound
NeverDead is trying really hard to live up to its name. Konami’s latest title is about to have its first piece of DLC and it will be available on February 21st. “NeverDead Expansion Pack Volume 1″ will give you access to a new playable character and the ability to play co-op challenges with pop star Nikki Summerfield. The DLC pack will also let you visit an expanded version of the Asylum level, with three new challenges, including taking hold of “score zones,” racing across the map through a series of traps and hazards, and a mode called Onslaught, in which you unlock the zone section-by-section by defeating enemies. The expansion will also include two new costumes Bryce Boltzmann to dress up in.
Square Enix: Big Xbox Live Marketplace Sale
Good news! Square Enix is having a sale this week on the Xbox Marketplace. The deals include half price DLC for Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Just Cause 2, along with discounts on several of the Tomb Rader DLC.
The best parts of the sale has to be the Deus Ex’s Missing Link DLC and co-op adventure Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light for just 600 Microsoft Points. There’s also some very appealing discounts on some full downloads such as Battlestations: Pacific, Just Cause 2 and Tomb Raider: Underworld. All discounts are listed in the image below.
Skyrim Creation Kit: Available on PC Tomorrow
PC players, rejoice! According to a tweet from Bethesda VP of Marketing Pete Hines, the Skyrim Creation Kit will be made available for the PC version on Tuesday, aka tomorrow! The Creation Kit is available through Steam and found under the “Tools” section. The best bit about it, it’s absolutely free!
As if the ability to generate infinite amounts of free Skyrim content through various mods wasn’t enough, Hines also teased a “special surprise” that would be coming along with it; we’ll have to wait until Tuesday to see what that is.
Minecraft for XBLA to get Frequent Updates
Microsoft may be about to end its limit on content distribution and speeding up its approval process, with the XBLA version of Minecraft, the first ever title to get such treatment. In a recent interview, the developers behind the port say the plan is to catch the Xbox version up to the 1.0 build.
It is clear that Microsoft understands that a big part of Minecraft’s appeal is its ever-evolving nature and long list of Mods. While the constant updates of the PC version aren’t feasible at this time, the developers do say Microsoft is “keen to move towards that – they do see it as the future.”
However, it has been confirmed that Microsoft won’t be stepping out of the way completely. The plan is to just speeding up the notoriously slow testing and approval process. “I think that there will always be Microsoft testing involved… But the whole turnaround of that testing they’re hoping to speed up, so we can maybe roll out very two months.”
It is a possibility that Microsoft may be using Minecraft as a test case. There are certainly other games on the Xbox 360 that could benefit from frequent updates; Valve’s Team Fortress 2 comes to mind. Hopefully the XBLA version of Minecraft will usher in a new era of updates when it releases this spring.
