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On April 1st anyone who has not yet played ARMY OF TWO™ can team up to create the deadliest two-man military outfit a government can buy. In this free online demo, two people can play exciting co-op missions exclusively on Xbox LIVE™ Marketplace. In the demo, two players complete an intensive co-op training session before they are dropped into Somalia where they must work together to take out the local warlord.

Players engage in two-man tactics and boost their Aggro level to become the ultimate combat force that no enemy can withstand. ARMY OF TWO gameplay focuses on two-man missions, two-man strategies, two-man tactics and a two-man advantage to bring a new and groundbreaking gaming experience to players worldwide, online and offline. It captivates gamers with a politically charged storyline, centering on the impact and ethical issues of Private Military Corporations.

As far as I know, this is not an April Fool’s joke. 

Game on!

March 27, 2008 – Electronic Arts Inc. announced today that Madden NFL 09 will be available in retail stores in North America on August 12, including a special collector’s edition in celebration of the 20th anniversary of one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time. The Madden NFL 09 20th Anniversary Collector’s Edition will be the ultimate interactive NFL experience - featuring full versions of both Madden NFL 09 and the all-new NFL Head Coach 09, exclusive classic Madden NFL gameplay, and an extensive library of exclusive bonus video content.

“The Madden NFL franchise has a rich history, and we’re proud to be celebrating it with this definitive video game package,” says Peter Moore, president of EA SPORTS. “Featuring two deep and innovative new standalone games, as well as a host of exclusive bonus content, the Madden NFL 09 20th Anniversary Collector’s Edition is the ultimate interactive offering for both long-time Madden NFL fans and anyone who enjoys football on Sundays. I can’t think of a better way to get your NFL fix than to enjoy everything that’s unique about both Madden NFL 09 and NFL Head Coach 09, and then connecting and sharing content from both.”

Whether you prefer to make your moves on the field, from the sidelines or in the front office, the Madden NFL 09 20th Anniversary Collector’s Edition has something for every football fan. Madden NFL 09 will feature the most immersive gameplay, the richest online offerings and the most comprehensive feature depth in the history of the franchise, while NFL Head Coach 09 has been reinvented to provide a unique new NFL experience by allowing fans to be in total control of their favorite franchises. The two games offer unique experiences and then can even interact with one another with gamers being able to import their user-designed plays from NFL Head Coach 09 and put them into Madden NFL 09 to create customized playbooks for complete control on the field.

“Both Madden NFL 09 and NFL Head Coach 09 are deep and unique gaming experiences that will truly immerse sports fans of all ages, skill levels and playing styles,” says Chris Erb, EA SPORTS director of marketing. “With the Madden NFL 09 20th Anniversary Collector’s Edition, we’re bringing two great NFL games together to create the definitive football offering.”

NFL Head Coach 09 provides the complete NFL coaching experience, offering a variety of different ways to control an NFL franchise, on and off the field, in-season and off-season. With strategic game-planning features, NFL Head Coach 09 places gamers in the coach’s seat by allowing gamers to comprehensively scout the opponent, build custom playbooks, and develop a team that will adapt to the philosophy and system of an NFL franchise.

Last year’s Madden NFL 08 was honored with various awards, including the 2007 Game Critics “Best Sports Game” award at last year’s E3 Media and Business Summit, “Best Team Sports Game” from the Spike TV Video Games Awards, “Best Sports Game of the Year” by GameTrailers’ 2007 Game of the Year Awards, GameSpot’s “Best Sports Game” Reader’s Choice Award, and the “Best Sports Games” of 2007 by MSNBC. Over the past 20 years, the Madden NFL franchise has sold over 70 million* copies and has been established as one of the most revered sports video games in the industry. Since 2002, Madden NFL has been the number one selling sports game** each year in North America.

Both Madden NFL 09 and NFL Head Coach 09 are developed in Orlando, Florida by the award-winning EA Tiburon studio, which also produces NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® and NASCAR® racing.

Madden NFL 09 will be available for the Xbox 360™ video game system from Microsoft, PlayStation®2 and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment systems, Wii™, Nintendo DS™, PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system and is rated RP by the ESRB. NFL Head Coach 09 is scheduled to ship only as a part of the Madden NFL 09 20th Anniversary Collector’s Edition, which, at a suggested retail price of $89.99 for the complete package of Madden NFL 09 and NFL Head Coach 09 plus additional exclusive bonus content, will ship on the Xbox 360™ and PLAYSTATION®3.

Game on!

Check out this Unreal Engine 3 Tech Demo from GDC, featuring Gears of War 2.

Looking good!

Game on!

Early on in the 360’s life cycle, Gamerscore cheating was a huge issue.  Facilitated by hackers, or simply those using action-replay type devices, some started to get impossibly high gamerscores.

Microsoft was rather quiet on the issue for a long time.  Now, however, they’re taking action.  If you are found to be Gamerscore cheating, expect the following actions to be taken on your Xbox Live account:

• Resetting the entire Gamerscore for an account to zero

• The account will be unable to regain all previously obtained achievements and Gamerscore, however, the players will have the ability to gain future Achievements by earning them fairly, like the majority of the Xbox LIVE community does.

• The account will be clearly labeled as a cheater for the community to view on xbox.com. You can see an example here. In dash, the personal view of the gamercard will be labeled as well.

The image at the top is of a gamer who just got caught cheating.  I’d say the cheaters just got owned.  There is no way whatsoever to appeal if you are caught and have your gamerscore reset. 

 Gamerscore cheating: don’t do it!  For the full details of the consequences of Gamerscore cheating, see HERE. 

Game on!

EA DICE, a studio of Electronic Arts Inc. today announced the multiplayer beta test for Battlefield: Bad Company™ on the Xbox 360® video game system from Microsoft. IGN Founders’ Club and IGN Insider will offer keys to members and the public in North America and the UK to participate in the multiplayer beta test starting March 25 provided by IGN’s popular game download site FilePlanet (http://www.fileplanet.com). In addition, keys will also be available through IGN Entertainment’s gaming Web sites including IGN.com, GameSpy, TeamXbox, Planet Battlefield and Voodoo Extreme. Battlefield: Bad Company will launch on the Xbox 360 and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system in June 2008.

“We’re really excited about this beta since it gives us a chance to let a wider audience play our new multiplayer game, ‘Gold Rush’. The feedback coming back from something like this is crucial for us as developers and will help us with the final changes and polish in the game,” stated Karl-Magnus Troedsson, Senior Producer for Battlefield: Bad Company. “Battlefield and FPS fans get their first glimpse into how tactical destruction can be applied in multiplayer gameplay. We think offering two of the multiplayer maps will give gamers a fantastic experience and some great insight into the game.”

In North America, GameStop will also offer keys on a first come, first serve basis for this Exclusive Beta Xbox LIVE® online entertainment network event. With only 5,000 beta keys available at GameStop, gamers should pre-order their copy now at www.gamestop.com/badcompanybeta

The Battlefield: Bad Company multiplayer beta test will give players a chance to return to the battlefield to embark on an exciting mission to capture the spoils of war. Gamers will battle through two different maps, access new infantry kits and vehicles as well as experience the unique tactical destruction in Battlefield: Bad Company that changes the way first-person shooter games are played. With an unlimited upgrade tree and rewards, the multiplayer beta gives players the exhilaration, excitement and fun that awaits them when the final game ships later this summer.

“Xbox LIVE has a tradition of hosting some of the greatest demo and beta events gamers can play,” said Marc Whitten, General Manager of Xbox LIVE. “We continue this practice of awesome online gameplay with the new beta of Battlefield Bad Company.”

Developed by Sweden-based developer EA DICE (Digital Illusions Creative Entertainment), Battlefield: Bad Company has not yet been rated by the ESRB or PEGI.

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Game on!

360 Rant Rave has learned of a code floating around, which will allow you to access a new/extra multiplayer map in the about to be released Ubisoft title, Rainbow Six Vegas 2. 

From the main menu of the game, select ‘Extras’ and then ‘Comcast Gift’.  When prompted, input ‘Comcast Faster’ to access the map.

 Game on!  

Introduction:
Capcom’s latest effort to bring panache to the Xbox Live Arcade, Rocketmen: Axis of Evil (RAE), falls way short of its intended mark - whatever that may have been. In addition it has a hefty 800 point price tag that, in most cases, is going to leave you with buyer’s remorse.

Gameplay:
To start off with, just getting going in this game is a long and tedious project. First you have to select your character from one of RAE’s races of beings. Once you have selected your race you will choose between the class of person you are, as well as your gender. The game also gives you choices for costume color and many other non amusing attributes. It all seems a little too much for me, as none of the characters or races really seem to perform that differently.

Once you have gone through the character design/choice process you are forced to sit through what seems like endless cutscenes. They are cartoony in nature and the characters in them speak through cartoon-like pop up balloons. The cut scenes are long and laborious, full of corny attempts at humor. At some points they do try to give you instructions on weapons use and other gadgetry. However, the game is so simple, they could have easily left these out and let the gamer figure out what to do on their own.

Once you do get going, the game improves very little. It is a top down shooter that is very linear indeed. The first problem you will encounter is the camera itself. The camera does not focus or center on your character but instead fixes on points in the scene. The bottom line is that often times you will miss out on objects you need to collect, simply because there is no backtracking to the camera. At times you may see some power ups or collectibles but you are too engaged in the fight to get them right then. Well, if you move the camera position up through your own character’s travel you are just out of luck. The camera will not allow you any backtracking. So at the end of levels, expect to be infuriated at the object count on things you missed, mostly because you missed them through no fault of your own.

As for the actual game play, after the first few levels you quickly realize that little is changing. It is extremely linear. There is no real exploring in this game. You have one weapon with unlimited ammo. After a period of time the weapon will render itself useless and you must find another one to pick up. Fortunately, the levels are plentiful with weapons and power ups to collect, so you are never in any danger of running out. Besides, who cares if you do? You have unlimited lives. Dying costs you experience points that reflect in your stats, but after playing a while you will realize your stats do not matter much. At the end of each level everything is tallied up and you are rewarded points to be used for upgrades. However, the upgrades really appear to be pointless as they do little to alter your character’s abilities.

Although the graphics are not terrible in the gameplay itself, the ridiculous cutscenes disparage the entire game. They add so little to the experience and hold the game play up in an unending interruption of play. They may have been alright if they were cutscenes that were done well graphically and added to the overall appeal of the game - say like in Mass Effect. Unfortunately, however, they do not. At least you can skip them if you want.

Playing through the levels you quickly get the feeling of repetition. The left stick guides your character and the right stick fires your weapon. Hordes of enemies march relentlessly at you and die in an unending rail of fire from whatever weapon you have your hands on. There is virtually no strategy and no challenge in RAE. It is simply a matter of endurance. Quite frankly, it is a matter of you tolerating the game all the way until the end. Unless you are forced to play the game, RAE will leave you thinking about what game you could be playing instead.

Extras:
RAE’s only redeeming quality is the multiplayer portion. And it barely helps RAE’s survival rate. You can play with up to 4 players in co-op. The problems with the camera don’t go away but with the four of you, you gain a small element of control - emphasis on small. There is very little lag and it runs smoothly but, really, who cares? The chance of four of your friends having the game and wanting to play it seems slim. It does allow for a match finding mode that works well. I would guess though, that soon enough the population for this game online will be extremely minimal.

Conclusion:
Overall, there is little I can find to say nice about this game. There is nothing new or spectacular to be found in RAE. It features a weak storyline, weak game play and offers no real sense of achievement moving from level to level. In the end, all you want to do is move on. RAE is way overpriced for what it delivers and I would warn anyone interested to please try the trial version before spending your points on this game.

Score : 4.5

360 Rant Rave has obtained the first trailer for the upcoming Sega title, Iron Man, based on the film staring Robert Downey Jr. 

To view the trailer, click HERE. (2.15MB MOV)

Game on!

Introduction:
In the world of Army of Two, traditional military force isn’t always the best course of action. What other options does the government have at their disposal? They have mercenaries. Oh, excuse me. They have private military contractors. For a price, these ‘contractors’ can do the dirty work and are often more efficient that a traditional military strike team.

Your two-man military contract team in Army of Two is comprised of Tyson Rios and Elliott Salem. They work for the Security & Strategy Corporation and will take on just about any military mission for a price. They are efficient and a bit cocky at times too. As the game progresses, however, Rios and Salem begin to notice strange things amidst a pending bill on the hill to fully privatize the military. Questions arise and they find themselves in the midst of a likely conspiracy.

Gameplay:
The name of the game in Army of Two is co-op. Whether you play on or offline with a friend or use the game’s A.I. teammate to assist you, it’s all about two-man strategies. The game is setup in such a way that trying to do things all on your own will be next to if not completely impossible. So if you have notions of playing as Rios and just telling Salem to hold position while you kick-butt, think again.

The missions in the game are mainly based around specific objectives, such as dismantling missiles or taking out a particular human target. Your number one tool in accomplishing these objectives is the Aggro system. Aggro is a major part of the game’s A.I. system and determines which teammate, Rios or Salem, is the enemy’s primary target. The more you fire at the enemy, throw grenades, cause havoc, etc. (i.e. go aggro) the more the enemy will focus their attention on you.

The plus side is that if the enemy has all of their attention focused on you, this leaves your teammate free to sneak around to flank or even get behind the enemy to take them out. The more aggro you go, the more ‘invisible’ your teammate becomes to the enemy. Continue to go aggro and eventually you’ll activate Overkill Mode. Once overkill is activated, time will slow, the amount of damage you dish out will increase and you’ll be able to fire unlimited rounds or move around completely invisible to the enemy for approximately 15 seconds or so.

Of course, you don’t want your teammate to have all the fun. Sometimes you’ll want your teammate to go aggro, so you can be the one to sneak around and get the kills. When playing with a human teammate, this is pretty straightforward. Just talk to your teammate and work out who will be doing what.

When using the A.I. teammate, you have a limited number of commands you can use to give orders. Considering the fully co-op nature of the game, however, I had expected a more robust command system. You can tell your A.I. teammate to advance, hold position or regroup. That’s about it. There are ‘active’ and ‘passive’ modes for each, allowing you to tell your teammate whether to simply move as you command or to lay down fire.

If you tell your teammate to lay down fire, they will begin to go aggro and draw the enemy’s attention, allowing you to be the sneaky one. Don’t forget about your teammate though. If he becomes injured, you’ll have to rescue him in time. You can drag your teammate out of harms way, and then administer first aid. Your A.I. teammate can do the same for you. When you’re injured your A.I. partner will come to drag you behind cover. You can provide suppressing fire to help as your teammate drags you away from the action. Unfortunately, many times my A.I. partner would actually drag me towards the enemy to find cover. This did not always work so well, as you might imagine.

For the most part, the A.I. of your teammate is actually pretty good. They will lay down good suppression fire, flank and take out enemies, etc. The limitations in the command system, however, made things difficult at times. More than once I would, literally, have to ‘push’ my A.I. teammate into the line of enemy fire before he would start to lay down fire as I’d instructed him to do. Further, the lack of ability to ‘point’ to a location and tell your teammate to “Go there” means that, if you want your teammate in a specific location outside whatever route he might take if you simply tell him to ‘advance’, you’ll have to actually go there yourself and then tell him to ‘regroup’.

There are also two co-op commands you can use: Swap Weapon and Co-op Snipe. Swap weapon allows you to swap your currently equipped weapon with your teammate. It’s a nice idea, but I really never found any need to use it. Co-op snipe allows you and your teammate to sight a single target and snipe together, making for a stronger impact. It’s useful at times to, for example, blow up a fuel tank to take out a few enemies, but it’s not a major part of the gameplay. When playing with your A.I. partner, you’ll have to aim both weapons before firing.

At certain points throughout the game, you’ll find yourself in tight situations, surrounded by several enemies. When this happens, the game will automatically enter ‘Back-To-Back’ Mode. When it happens, you and your teammate will stand back-to-back to target the enemies surrounding you. As with Overkill Mode, time slows while you and your teammate work together to clean house. Take out your enemies fast, however, or you’ll both be killed and have to start over from your last checkpoint.

Since you are a private contractor, each successful mission objective completed will earn you cash. You can use this cash between missions (and occasionally mid-mission, the game will offer you the option) to purchase new gear, weapons and weapon upgrades. Each team member can carry a primary weapon, a secondary weapon, a ‘special’ weapon (such as a sniper rifle, for example) and grenades. You can upgrade your weapons with better stocks, barrels, better scopes for the snipers, etc. There wasn’t really much in the way of ‘gear’. You can purchase different masks for your character and upgrade to medium and hard body armor. I would like to have seen a greater variety of gear options, including more grenade options.

Those who pre-ordered the game also received codes to unlock two special weapons: An SMG with a shield on it, and a combo rifle/grenade launcher. I did not have access to these two weapons, so I can’t say what impact, if any, they might have on your effectiveness in the game.

The graphics in Army of Two definitely stand out and are one of the best aspects of the game. The character models for Rios and Salem are very detailed, including tattoos, scars and marks on their battle armor. Your enemies look just about as good and the character animations were done very well, reacting correctly to where and how you hit an enemy. The cutscenes are even more impressive and will keep you watching.

Sound is also impressive, with guns and explosions sounding as they should and music that seemed to fit the mood well. The voice acting in Army of Two was pretty good too, if a bit profanity laden – not that I mind that.

Extras:
Army of Two was made for Live. While using the A.I. teammate can be fun, the game was intended as a co-op experience for two players (or four players in a 2-on-2 match up). Unfortunately, EA has had some server issues which have made getting into or staying connected to a co-op game a bit of an ordeal. A patch is on the way, however, so hopefully it won’t be an issue for long.

The game comes equipped with four multiplayer maps (more should be coming via DLC) and three game modes: Extraction, Bounties and Warzones. Extraction is pretty self-explanatory. A VIP will appear somewhere on the map and you will have to escort them to safety. In Bounties, you are tasked with eliminating specific targets. Warzone is a mixture of both of these, where you’ll have to protect and kill, and also adds secondary objectives to the mix. Complete the most secondary objectives to earn the most cash and win the match. In all of these multiplayer modes, you’ll face of against A.I. enemies as well as human opponents, giving you something extra to worry about.

Conclusion:
The idea of a fully co-op game had many people excited and eagerly anticipating Army of Two’s arrival. While it does have some very solid gameplay and a few pretty cool features, much of it feels a little unfinished and unpolished. The lack of more robust commands for your A.I. partner and his occasional tendency to drag your injured body towards the enemy were rather frustrating at times. Also, the game seems a bit short on maps and multiplayer game modes for a game that focuses so heavily on multiplayer.

The campaign is also a bit short at only six missions long, so hopefully DLC will remedy this and provide us with some more campaign missions to tackle.

If you want the best experience, definitely play Army of Two with a human partner. With two people working together, the gameplay seems to work a little better and feels far more satisfying.

Score: 7.0

Capcom®, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today announced that Lost Planet™: Extreme Condition COLONIES EDITION is in development for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft as well as a version for Windows-based PCs that will support Games for Windows – LIVE®. Scheduled for Platinum Hits release this June in North America, Lost Planet COLONIES EDITION extends the acclaimed Lost Planet experience by delivering fresh new content and gameplay options, as well as online cross-platform play between both the Xbox 360 and Windows-based PCs using Xbox LIVE and Games for Windows - LIVE. Both SKUs of the game will offer excellent value, with the Xbox 360 version achieving Platinum Hits status. Lost Planet COLONIES EDITION is rated T for Teen by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) and will be released on both Windows PCs and Xbox 360 on May 27 for the Platinum Hits value price of $29.99.

Lost Planet COLONIES EDITION provides the same compelling single player experience found in the original Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, with the addition of three new modes. In Score Attack, all enemies have points assigned to them and the score awarded will change depending on how they are defeated, with skilled marksmen being rewarded. For those who thrive on a challenge, Trial Battle Mode delivers, pitting players against all of the game’s bosses, one after another. Players of both Score Attack and Trial Battle modes will be able to compare their skills and compete for bragging rights via the online ranking system. Finally things get a little crazy with Off Limit Mode which lets players take on Lost Planet’s harsh environments and enemies with over-the-top, super-charged weapons and a powered-up grappling hook.

Fans of multiplayer action will not be disappointed as Lost Planet COLONIES EDITION allows them to enjoy a host of new maps, characters, weapons and gameplay modes. Players turn poacher as they attempt to steal opponents’ alien Akrid eggs in a number of individual and team play modes, while the addition of VS Annihilator Mode assigns one robotic Vital Suit to each team, which must be defended at all cost. Lost Planet COLONIES EDITION also includes the feature that Lost Planet fans across the globe have been clamoring for – the ability to play as a gigantic marauding Akrid. Revel in the chance to turn the tables on the Snow Pirates as you assume the role of one of E.D.E.N. III’s indigenous creatures in Akrid Hunting mode.

All of these modes can be played across a total of 20 diverse maps, including a number of brand-new multiplayer arenas set in areas such as the confines of an ancient coliseum or the zero gravity of space. For the first time, Xbox 360 owners will be able to join up with or play against Windows-based PC gamers, thanks to Lost Planet COLONIES EDITION’s cross-platform compatibility.

Lost Planet Extreme Condition – COLONIES EDITION includes everything that made the original Lost Planet a hit on 360, Windows PC and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, as well as the following new features:

• New modes for single-player campaign
o Score Attack – Each enemy and destructible object has points assigned to them, with the player being awarded different points depending on how they defeat the enemy.
o Trial Battle Mode – Take on each of the game’s Bosses, one after another
o Off limit Mode – Go wild with over-the-top super-charged weapons with unlimited ammunition and increased speed of movement
• New online modes
o Akrid Hunter – Get the chance to finally play as an Akrid as your opponents attempt to take you down
o VS Annihilator – Each team attempts to destroy its opponent’s VS while defending its own
o Counter Grab – The team with the longest data posts activation time wins
o Point Snatcher – Take down opponents and collect the most thermal energy points
o Akrid Egg Battle – Steal Akrid eggs from the opponent’s team and bring them safely back to your own base
o Egg Bandit – steal your opponents’ Akrid egg, with points awarded for longer capture time
• 4 new maps for online matches: Crossfire City, Area 921, Lost Arena, Assault Space
• 5 new playable character models
• Multiple new weapons for both snow pirates and the robotic VS suits
• Cross-platform Battles – Xbox 360 owners can join forces or play against PC gamers
• New perspectives – Switch to first person view or the over-the-shoulder view from Resident Evil® 4 for even more intense action
• NOTE: Lost Planet COLONIES EDITION and the original Lost Planet: Extreme Condition are not compatible. Single-player saves and online rankings cannot be carried over and multiplayer games will be separate.

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Game on!