Tag Archive: call of duty


If you saw the new Tomb Raider trailer, you’ll notice that things look a bit different. (And if you haven’t it’s at the bottom of this blog.) In an interview with Kotaku, Tomb Raider’s global brand director, Karl Stewart, said:

“We are not creating a character that just appeals to men. We want to have an effect that is deeper, that has highs and lows. You can see it’s not just about sex appeal. She can’t be huge chest and tight shorts. That was the vision of old Lara Croft. We needed to make substantial changes.”

He also mentioned that they were completely scrapping the back story from previous Tomb Raider games about Croft’s parents and her background. She no longer is wielding dual-pistols, no more of the signature look which we have all came to recognize. Stewart also said:

“We are very proud of the history that Tomb Raider has. But this will never tie into whatever she’s done before.”

Considering that Tomb Raider on the PS1 was the very first game I ever played, I have a bit of an interest in this series. However, over the years, my interest has faded, as the story has felt so repetitive to me. I felt as though Lara Croft was the same character, just rehashed each time. No growth as a character. If Tomb Raider’s reconstruction turns out for the best, this may just revive my interest in the series. We’ll have to wait and see. You can read the full interview at Kotaku


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Speaking of things that I’m interested in, the BioShock novel, titled BioShock: Rapture, has an excerpt that you’ll want to read here at Tor.com. I’m usually skeptical about video game books or movies. However, from the excerpt, this seems well worth reading the book. If you’re just as excited about this as I am, you can pre-order the book at Amazon.com. The book will be available on July 19th.

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I noticed recently in the searches for my blog, that someone requested a Modern Warfare 2 soundtrack release date. From my research, the Modern Warfare 2 soundtrack is not available for release on a physical CD, however a download from Amazon is available here. Or maybe you don’t want to buy it, but just listen to it. Luckily for you, a Youtube playlist has been made, which you can listen to here.  There’s about 130 videos, which all feature the MW2 soundtrack by Hans Zimmer. So have fun.

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Finally, it’s time for some free things on the web. Valve is now offering free-to-play games via Steam. The games available include: Champions Online: Free for All, Global Agenda: Free Agent, Spiral Knights, Forsaken Worlds, and Alliance of Valliant Arms. You can find these games and more by accessing the Steam Store via the “Store” tab in Steam, then click on “Genres” and then “Free to Play” in the drop down menu. Or you could just type the name of the game you want into the search bar to make things easier.

Tomb Raider E3 2011 Trailer:

Thanks for reading,
–Taylor Paige

Sources:
Kotaku
Tor.com
& Amazon
MW2 Soundtrack via Amazon & Youtube
F2P Games via Steam News

I told you guys I would post again soon. 🙂

Anyway, this week has been all about E3. From what I’ve saw and read, I’m pretty impressed with what’s coming out soon. So let’s get right into it.

First, let’s talk about game releases. The schedule for game releases looks INCREDIBLE. BioShock Infinite, Modern Warfare 3, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, Saints Row: The Third, Far Cry 3, Ghost Recon Future Solider, Battlefield 3, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, Driver San Francisco, Tomb Raider, Gears of War 3, Mass Effect 3, Hitman: Absolution, and of course, Halo 4. Just to name some. Naturally, all of these games look and sound amazing. I have a feeling that I’ll be completely broke by the end of 2012. If you haven’t seen any of these games (or even knew that they’re being released), here are the links:
 BioShock Infinite E3 Trailer
Modern Warfare 3 E3 Gameplay
Assassin’s Creed: Revelations
Saints Row: The Third
Far Cry 3
Ghost Recon Future Solider
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Halo 4
Hitman Absolution
Battlefield 3
For a full list of trailers and gameplay, check out this link.

Next, the two big device reveals were the Wii U and PS Vita.
Wii U Features:

The Console:
-45 nm processor

The Wii U Controller & Console

-Approx. 1.8″ tall, 6.8″ wide, & 10.5″ long
-Internal memory
-USB and SD memory card ports
-Slot-loading optical disk drive
-Sensor Bar port
-AV Multi Out port
-HDMI out port

The Controller:
-Built in accelerometer, gyroscope, speakers, front-facing camera, microphone, and a 6.2″ touchscreen
-2 circle pads, 1 digital pad
-Select, Start, Home, Power, A, B, X, and Y Buttons. L/R Bumpers and ZL/ZR Triggers.
The Wii U is reported to launch after April 2012.

Now for the PS Vita:

-5″ touchscreen

Say Hello to the PS Vita

-Rear touchpad
-Sixaxis motion sensing
-Three-axis electronic compass
-Standard Playstation buttons (circle, triangle, square, x, start, select), Home,  Volume, L, R, Power, 2 Analog Sticks, and 1 D-Pad
-Front and Rear facing camera
-Supports Bluetooth
-Will also feature Wi-Fi and 3G versions
The PS Vita is reported to launch during Holiday 2011. The PS Vita will cost $249.

Microsoft announced that a Youtube functionality and PC smash-hit Minecraft will be coming to Xbox Live. Xbox Live, Youtube, and Minecraft all together? That pretty much sums up my life. It couldn’t get any better than this.

In other news, you can download the Portal 2 soundtrack via the Official Portal 2 website for free. (Just click on “Official Portal 2 website”, which will then direct you there. Then click on ‘Download Volume I’). Additionally, you can download the individual tracks for your Android or iPhone by clicking the links underneath the tracks that say ‘Android’ or ‘iPhone’.
Also, Rockstar Games has released a free kindle version of L.A. Noire: The Collected Stories on Amazon here. Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can still view it on your computer by selecting [Your Name]’s Kindle for PC.
Yeah, you’re welcome.

Speaking of L.A. Noire (which is an awesome game, if you haven’t checked it out), the Rockstar Pass for L.A. Noire only has a few days left to get current and future DLC. The cost is 800 MS Points/$9.99 and includes: The Badge Pursuit Challenge, Chicago Piano Gun, The Naked City Vice Case, A Slip of the Tongue Traffic Case, Three Suits, and two future DLC’s: Reefer Madness Vice Case (release: July 12) & Nicholson Electroplating(June 21) Arson Case. This offer is only available until June 14th. Then the price will go up to $12/960 MS Points.

Thanks for reading and keep on playing,
–Taylor Paige

Sources:
Videos via Machinima
Wii U News Via Wikipedia
PS Vita via Wikipedia
Minecraft on Xbox Live via IFC
Rockstar Pass Info via 1up

Well, it has certainly been a while since I posted last. During that time, a lot has gone on in the gaming industry. The Call of Duty and Assassin’s Creed series saw new releases before the holiday season hit, Rockstar Games released it’s amazing trailer for the upcoming game for L.A. Noire, and speaking of Rockstar, the talk of GTA V being released in 2012 has made it’s way around the web.

Of course, all of these topics will be covered in future posts, however, I’ve been really impressed by Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood lately. With that said, this entire post will be dedicated solely to Assassin’s Creed.

First and foremost, a new FREE DLC for Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood will be released on December 14th for both Xbox Live and Playstation Network. It will be titled: “Animus Project Update 1.0” and will include a new game mode (Advanced Alliance) and a new multiplayer map: Mont Saint-Michel. While that may not seem like a lot, who cares? It’s free!

Secondly, the Assassin’s Creed series may see another addition in 2011. Yves Guillemot, CEO of Ubisoft, said the following response to a question asking about an Assassin’s Creed release in 2011:

“There will be something around Assassin’s. That’s the only thing we can say.”

Ubisoft executives said that it is their goal to have Assassin’s Creed games released on a yearly basis.

Well, if Ubisoft plans on releasing a new game each year, then they can hopefully expect to see some serious bank considering that Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood did so well on it’s first week. In Europe, AC: Brotherhood sold over 1 million copies in less than one week. In all, the Assassin’s Creed series has sold over 20 million units.

For those of you wanting to find out more information on the AC series, please check out the awesome Assassin’s Creed Wiki page.

Assassin's Creed

Assassin's Creed II

Ezio's Back in Assassin's Creed Brotherhood

Happy Holidays,
–Taylor Paige
©2010 taylorpaige09

Sources:
AC 2011 via Kotaku
AC sales via MCVUK
AC DLC via IGN

Images Courtesy of Wikipedia
Video Courtesy of the Official AC Youtube Channel

More Modern Warfare 2 details have been released:

“Carnival– A huge map set in an amusement park featuring all new art work and level design. The daytime map will feature wide open areas and several highpoints that will make it ideal for snipers and long range battles. The area will include a roller coaster, a fun house, and bumper cars.

Fuel– Based on the oil refinery level form the campaign, this map will have two distinct areas. One will be more of an open area for ranged battles, and the other a side is a warehouse with corridors for close combat.

Trailer Park– This map is based on the Boneyard level from the campaign. The area will be condensed, with corridors that become a maze, and sections that can easily become ambush points. The level is designed for close to mid range combat, as well as ambushes and traps.

Strike and Vacant– As with the “Stimulus Package”, the “Resurgence Package” will bring two maps over from the original Modern Warfare. Strike (pictured above) is a city block set in the Middle East, with a large courtyard, a street in the center, several open buildings and a pathway to flank opponents. Vacant is a map with an outside that features several metal containers, while the inside is a warehouse with two large rooms and a small courtyard in the center. Both maps should receive some visual tweaks.”

The Resurgence Package will cost the same as the Stimulus Package: $14.99.

–Taylor Paige
©2010 taylorpaige09

MW2 Update: http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/modern-warfare-2s-new-map-pack-detailed/?news=123

According to this week’s All Format Chart, Alan Wake has taken the #2 spot on the charts just below FIFA World Cup 2010. From what I have played of Alan Wake so far, I think it is a really excellent game. I think it should get the number one spot. I definitely think it is better than FIFA. Maybe because I’m just not really into that kind of thing, but I really enjoy the story for Alan Wake. I was a bit skeptical as to how this game would turn out, but I really think it came together nicely. Your opinions?
The top 10 list:

  • FIFA World Cup 2010: South Africa (EA Sports, EA)
  • Alan Wake (Remedy Entertainment, Microsoft)
  • Lost Planet 2 (Capcom, Capcom)
  • Just Dance (Ubisoft, Ubisoft)
  • Skate 3 (EA BlackBox, EA Games)
  • Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (EA DICE, EA Games)
  • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Infinity Ward, Activision)
  • Final Fantasy XIII (Square Enix, Square Enix)
  • Wii Fit Plus (Nintendo, Nintendo)
  • Wii Sports Resort (Nintendo, Nintendo)

I think I forgot to mention the additional details about Modern Warfare 2’s new DLC due to be released to the X360 on June 3rd. In Major Nelson’s latest, “Mr. Modern Warfare”, Robert Bowling discusses the new maps in some detail. A new Trailer Park map will be added, which is narrow, cutting through trailers and is very maze like. There’s a Carnival based map, and another map that was described as “sniper heaven” which is set in an oil refinery.

Lately, I have seen a lot of topics focused around Photo Dojo, a fighting game released exclusively for the Nintendo DSi. Well, until June 11th, Photo Dojo is absolutely free. The game uses the DSi’s camera to take pictures of people and various objects and lets the player assemble a custom fighting game off those images. After the deal is over, you must pay 200 Points in order to get it from the DSi Shop.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Trailer

–Taylor Paige
©2010 taylorpaige09

Alan Wake: http://www.gamerzines.com/xbox-360/news/wake-fails-to-take-top-spot.html
MW2 Update: http://www.gamerzines.com/xbox-360/news/new-details-mw2-resurgence.html
Photo Dojo: http://www.whattheyplay.com/blog/2010/05/11/download-photo-dojo-for-free-on-the-nintendo-dsi-u/?utm_source=What+They+Play+-+Newsletters+and+Alerts&utm_campaign=1f377b1566-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email
Black Ops Video via gamerzines on Youtube