Jake Gaskill is currently playing inFamous 2 at GDC right this very second, which makes us all jealous of him. But more exciting than that is the announcement that Sucker Punch just made about their baby: players will be able to generate their own user-created missions in the game, and if they get popular enough, they will show up in the single-player game.
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The key fact you'll want to know to know is that the kit includes everything they used to make the actual game, plus some stuff that's exclusive to the user generated tool set. According to Jake, "There will be filters that will let you choose what types of user-generated missions you want to show up. Mission start locators will stream into the actual single-player game, so you'll see them as you run around. Filters will keep it from being too crowded.
But if you want the full story, head on over to the inFamous 2 User Generated Missions Preview. But before you do that, head on after the jump to see a couple of images explaining how user-created missions will appear in the game.
Additionally, there will be a beta launching in early April, and the best beta levels will be chosen to be available in retail game when inFamous 2 launches on June 7th. Which, coincidentally, is the very first day of E3. Details about how to get in the beta will be revealed on March 14.
Electronic Arts just released its new Shift 2 Unleashed racing game in Need for Speed series and already the next iteration, Need for Speed: The Run, has been leaked by a retailer, alongside a teaser trailer.
EA is serious about spicing up its Need for Speed racing series, and we?ve already seen two high-profile releases in the 6 months, with NFS: Hot Pursuit, at the end of last year, and NFS: Shift 2 Unleashed, which appeared last month.
Now, thanks to an early listing at UK retailer ShopTo, the next release in the series has been leaked, in the form of Need for Speed: The Run.
The new racing game seems to be a return to story-based titles for the racing franchise, and might be created by EA?s Black Box studio, who previously handled the development of all NFS games a few years ago.
The official description that accompanied the listing said that, ?It?s called The Run. An illicit, high-stakes race across the country. The only way to get your life back is to be the first from San Francisco to New York. No speed limits. No rules. No allies. All you have are your driving skills and sheer determination as you battle hundreds of the world?s most notorious drivers on the country?s most dangerous roads.?
EA acted fast and admitted that existence of the game by posting a teaser video on the Need for Speed YouTube channel.
The footage, which you can check out below, shows a man called Jack, who is trapped in an overturned vehicle stuck on a train track, and is called out by a mysterious female voice.
Besides these two characters, we can check out cars like the Audi R8, Ford Mustang or Dodge Charger, which appear not only as street cars but also as police ones, so the pursuit mechanic might be featured by the new title, just like last year?s Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit.
The game is scheduled for a November 18 launch, and we can expect more details straight from EA soon.
Sword & Sworcery EP, the upcoming iPhone/iPad title from superbrothers, has a new video up. "Audience Calibration Procedure" presents an even more surreal look into this haunting title that uses retro graphics and a sense of wonder to create something new ... if not trippy. We took a look at the game back in October, and it is definitely on our radar. But don't just take my yakkin' for granted. Watch the video above and see what you think.
During last week's Pre-E3 press event in Santa Monica, developer EA Canada surprised us in their self-deprecating attitude towards last year's stellar�FIFA 11, which felt akin to our favorite band telling us the album we've been listening to all year, in fact, sucked. What we gamers can lose sight of is that development teams are gamers themselves and always have a long list of complaints even after shipping a game to retail. The FIFA series is no exception and the chief component EA Canada is revolutionizing this year is the tackling game.
We were shown a video of FIFA 11 where the players ran toward a loose ball. Suddenly, a canned animation kicked in (complete with limbs clipping through one another), which literally sucked the players together and played out what the pre-determined tackle would be based on the angle of approach. Then we saw another in which two players collided, both remained standing up, and after a moment?s hesitation, just detached and ran off in two different directions. This is not the case in FIFA 12. To paraphrase a clich�, this just got real.
Using a new physics engine ? dubbed the Player Impact Engine ? the players actually collide. Nothing is pre-determined. There is no brief stall for the game to decide what animation to calculate. There is no sucking. Legs come in contact with bodies and shins based on how the players approach each other. And then based on the collision, the game determines whether or not someone falls, or even gets hurt. The pre-determined animations were difficult to pick up on in past games because you're always playing with a wide view of the pitch. Now that we saw close-ups and tried the game ourselves, the difference is obvious.
In a friendly pick-up with former GamesRadar intern and current Gamespot schlub�Shaun McInnis, we noticed the effect from our slide tackle war. In addition, players will trip over each other and those without the ball push and pull off each other's arms. We're wondering just how drastically the change up will effect regular player's strategies.
Additionally, much ado was made about the Precision Dribbling system. By holding L2, we had much more control over the ball in tight spaces and were able to juke around opponents in stressful situations. Plus, the dribble didn?t kick the ball quite so far from the player each time, making it harder for defenders to steal. It?s difficult to describe, but the game felt more responsive and tactical than last year's.
EA talked up a new Tactical Defending system, which places a greater emphasis on positioning players to intercept passes. Its an impressive system, but again, the Player Impact Engine and Precision Dribbling was the focus of all the ballyhoo. In any case, we're not worried. These additions will only improve an otherwise excellent franchise and continue giving Pro Evolution Soccer a run for their quid.
Check back with us for more E3 coverage on FIFA 12.
Lots of games have co-op modes, but not all of them truly encourage meaningful cooperation and teamwork. Two (or more) guns are always better than one, but the games on this list go beyond mere strength in numbers by brute force. These are games that prove that two brains can be better than one too, and that sometimes lending an assist to your friend can be just as satisfying as getting the kill yourself.
Contributors: Tyler Nagata, Henry Gilbert, Carolyn Gudmundson, Charlie Barratt, Chris Antista, Matt Keast
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light
Lara is most known for her very solitary adventures, so it?s surprising that Guardian of Light has such amazing co-op elements. Each player has unique abilities: Lara has a grappling hook while Totec has spears and a shield. When you play the game in co-op, the puzzles actually change to accommodate two players, providing awesome moments like a giant stone staircase that slides inward and there?s a race to climb it before each stair-step disappears - players must help each other climb by standing on the shield, pulling each other up via grappling hook, and jumping on spears thrown into walls. Moments like this are incredibly exciting as players must communicate and coordinate to solve the puzzle in limited time.
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Other puzzles require each player to bypass an obstacle in a different way ? for instance Totec creates a bridge of spears for Lara to jump across, and then she creates a tightrope for Totec to balance across. Even in many moments where traps or enemies don?t require specific abilities the game demands communication, as each player can maximize their effectiveness by communicating the timing of their bombs and the various enemy attacks.
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Though most games on this list are made to foster a connection between players who know exactly what they?re doing, Super Mario Galaxy 2?s co-op gets away with being friendly to new and inexperienced gamers without being insulting to the ?real? player of the game. Perfect for younger siblings or casual friends, the co-op mode in Galaxy 2 lets one person play as Mario while the second player takes up a Wii Remote and offers support as a Luma floating beside the red-hatted one. Obviously it?s not the deepest experience for player two, but it has just the right balance of abilities and consequence to make it fun for both parties.
Unlike the pretty informal role of mainly collecting Star Bits in the first game, player two?s Luma in SMG2 can help Mario in so many ways. They can stun enemies, move harmful obstacles, carry health-replenishing coins, and give an underwater Mario air bubbles. There?s so much to keep player two active and helpful to the main player, while the fact the Luma can?t take any damage removes any worry on the part of the second player of slowing down their friend. Maybe it?s not the most hardcore game around, but it?s a very clever way to turn this particular solo experience multiplayer.
Team Fortress 2
We're not the best at Team Fortress 2, but that's okay because we have a lot of teammates. We have Heavies on the frontlines with Medics keeping their health topped off. We have Engineers holding the line with turrets and building teleporters to keep our army mobile. We have Pyros checking for Spies, Snipers keeping the enemy team honest, and Soldiers launching storms of rockets for splash damage.
You can?t help cooperating in Team Fortress 2. By the very nature of its design, the class-based shooter fixes it so that teammates naturally complement and cover for each other just by playing their class of choice. But when you do work closely with your team (or even just a few other players), it really pays off. Few things feel more gratifying than several well-timed ubers pulled off by Medics to create a temporary wall of invincible teammates to power through the enemy?s defenses.
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft doesn't require regular cooperation. It requires massively multiplayer online cooperation. Even if you want to run an entry level 10-man raid, you'll need to know your class inside and out and have a strong set of gear from running Heroic instances. You'll also need a headset and mic to communicate with your party, but mostly to listen to instructions from the raid leader. And that's only if you want to run a raid. If you actually want to clear a 10-man or 25-man raid in WoW?s endgame, everyone will need to know everything about each boss encounter.
If you've never been in an MMO raid before, check out this tutorial video from TankSpot ? and note the precision and teamwork required by all raid members needed in order to down the encounter. At the very least, everyone in the raid needs to know the boss's abilities, the different phases of the fight, and where they should be to avoid taking damage.
Above: TankSpot's guide to beating Omnitron Defense System. Your reward for mastering this encounter and defeating all constructs:�glorious loot
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers
Just when we thought we?d run out of reasons to reiterate that Capcom developed the most badass Disney games the world, thank goodness we get to look back at this most sensational corporation. Back in the NES days, single-screen co-op was generally reserved for games with guns or games with balls (think Contra and/or Tecmo Bowl, kids).
So not only was it super rare to have two players in a sidescroller occupy the same screen, but the idea of being able to partner up and form a strategy was downright mythic. You could bludgeon your buddy with apples, and even throw each other for an early instance of friendly-fire, but you could also put one chipmunk on defense by using what very well could be gaming?s first glimpse at a cover system. Pressing down while holding crates provided a one-time protective shield against attacking enemies, however, should one player grab an elusive steel box, he could take infinite hits and conceivably run a block on ground based enemies while the other chipmunk took care of the rest.
A massive update of the acclaimed Flick Golf HD has just hit the App Store. With major improvements and additional features, including Game Center, Quickshot Pro Mode, Platinum Trophies and 5 fantastic new courses to sink the perfect hole in one, the #1 Golf game on the App Store just got a whole lot bigger.
Still no clubs, still no rules, just the usual hazards and amazing new features to add to the challenge!
New features: * Game Center added * 5 new courses (3 Quickshot, 2 World Tour) * 15 New Achievements * New Game Mode: Quickshot Pro! * Platinum Trophies * Easier level unlocks * Levels 1 & 2 now unlocked by default
Improvements: * Timer pauses for score summary between shots * Ball movement & bounce more consistent * Collision around the hole improved * Significant frame-rate improvement * Added successive hole-in-one counter * Score card added to tutorial * New level unlocked message added during play * Facebook & Twitter launch buttons * Various bug fixes and improvements
Device Requirements: * iPad or iPad2 * Requires iOS 3.2 or later * 38.4 MB
Pricing and Availability: Flick Golf HD 1.1.0 is currently $0.99 USD (or equivalent amount in other currencies) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Games category.
Full Fat: http://www.full-fat.com Flick Golf HD 1.1.0: http://itunes.apple.com/app/flick-golf-hd/id400492358?mt=8
Major League Gaming online registration begins tonight at 7pm EST for the 2011 Pro Circuit. MLG describes itself as the world's largest videogame competition. If you're interested in getting involved with some professional gaming, the first MLG event will take place in Dallas, TX on April 1 - April 3. We've attended an MLG event before and had a lot of fun but this year looks even more promising.� If you're attending MLG either as a online spectator, live spectator, or player, the following pricing applies:
Online spectator pass - Free! Spectator pass� (in person) - $20.00 until March 7, $25 after March 7 Halo Reach Team Pass - $280.00 StarCraft 2 Player Pass - $70.00
There will be a premium HD stream available for the event, but pricing has not yet been decided.
Head over to MLG's website at 7pm EST to sign up for the competition, and good luck.
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