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A new series of Bad Company 2 videos are being released by DICE. First episode is now up on you tube. You can watch it here.

Although the Final Fantasy XIII Premiere was last week, Gametrailers has just uploaded footage of the announcements made at the event. Almost all of the information shown in the videos was covered by the livebloggers at the event but they serve as official confirmation.

One of the major announcements Kitase confirms in the video is that Final Fantasy XIII should hopefully be released overseas 3 months after the Japanese release. They don’t mention specifically which region they mean but we should expect to see it released outside of Japan in March 2010. This upgrades the liveblogger’s impression that it was coming out 6-8 months from now to a more specific timeframe. If you want to view the videos of the event, follow the links below.

Source

It will release this December in Japan on the PS3 only but in March it will come to the rest of the world on 360 and PS3.

Electronic Arts Inc. today announced that the console demo of the highly-rated Need for Speed SHIFT will be available for download on October 1 on PlayStation(r)Network and Xbox LIVE. The demo gives players a chance to see for themselves just how SHIFT delivers on the Need for Speed promise of speed, adrenaline and precision racing. Need for Speed SHIFT has been commended by AOL GameDaily as “one of 2009′s best racing games” and as “outstanding” by IGN.

Players will sample this year’s most intense authentic racing game by pushing one of
four cars to its limits on the world-famous Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps and the
tight city circuit of London River. Players that dominate each track and collect
enough stars will also unlock the ultimate racing machine; the Pagani Zonda F.
Jump into the cockpit of one of these five cars and find out how Need for Speed
SHIFT combines real-world physics with perception based G-forces to deliver a
supercharged on-the-track experience.

1. BMW M3 (E46)

2. 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10

3. 2006 Lotus Elise 111R

4. 2008 Nissan GT-R

5. 2006 Pagani Zonda F (unlockable)

The PC demo is currently available for download HERE.

Game on!

So Gearbox’s very own Mikey Neumann made a promise to play borderlands with anyone that preorder Borderlands today. Well that promise has been extended to anyone who has preordered Borderlands by 10PM Central time tonight.

You might be thinking to yourself now, ‘Jolly how can we play with Mikey?’ You are in luck friends the way to get to play with Mikey is simple. Just take a picture of your receipt and send it to him and your gamer tag via twitter @mikeyface. Its that simple. You can use any hosting site, such as imageshack to upload the image, and tinyurl to shrink the url and do it.

For the official discussion of this event and all of its hilarity check out the official Gearbox thread here and our thread here.

Thanks to Gearbox, we bring you Claptrap Episode 2!

View it here.

Welcome to our next 360RR Gamer Spotlight. Today we’ll be talking to 360 Rant Rave staff member, Bender Bot 2000.

360RR: Tell us a bit about your gamertag? Do you have any stories behind it? What made you choose “Bender Bot 2000″?
Bender Bot 2000: I’m a huge fan of Futurama and Bender is the greatest.

360RR: Ah in the words of yourself “Who are you, and why should I care?” But enough of that, tell us where you live?
Bender Bot 2000: Mobile, AL

360RR: Good ole Mobile, what do you do there in order to fund your xbox habit?
Bender Bot 2000: I am a cable guy… seriously. But I don’t tell stupid redneck jokes.

360RR: So you must be the Jim Carrey version of the Cable Guy then right? When did you become a member of Xbox Live?
Bender Bot 2000: When Halo 2 came out.

360RR: Ah I recall buying an original xbox just to play halo 2. Who is your best friend on Xbox Live and least favorite person on Xbox Live? Anyone that you compete against on a regular basis?
Bender Bot 2000: My best friend is also my least favorite person because he is the only one on my friend’s list that can go toe-to-toe with me on most games (especially Halo). That would be Jolly Buccaneer.

360RR: I bet that piratey scuz bucket is reading this now! What is your favorite video game of all time, if you could pick just one that is? And then tell us your favorite 360 game!
Bender Bot 2000: Hmm, hard to say. Halo Franchise I suppose, although Bioware and Bethesda games rank pretty high on my list too. Borderlands might take up the top spot though.

360RR: Borderlands is looking good, don’t forget to check out our interview with Randy Pitchford if you have not yet. What is your favorite Game Console and why?
Bender Bot 2000: 360 without a doubt. Great library of games, great online functionality, and the best controller around.

360RR: We all love our Xbox. What is your funniest/ most memorable moment on Xbox Live?
Bender Bot 2000: Either getting a quadruple kill on CoD4 with an enemy’s grenade or Killtacular on Halo 3 SWAT.

360RR: Halo 3 SWAT, so glad I will not be playing that anymore. What is your favorite movie of all time and why?
Bender Bot 2000: It is between the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy or Kung Fu Hustle… I love when action combines with comedy and pirates.

360RR: Kung Fu Hustle was a great movie. Who is your favorite game character and why?
Bender Bot 2000: Myself… Fallout 3, Mass Effect, Oblivion… the best characters are the ones you make yourself.

360RR: Those do seem to be good qualities of those games. What is your favorite band of all time?
Bender Bot 2000: Between Aerosmith and Linkin Park. Don’t make me choose.

360RR: Aerosmith, a classic! iPod or Zune?
Bender Bot 2000: Zune… but I own an iPod.

360RR: A bit confused there are we? What do you think will help to contribute to 360 RR’s growth?
Bender Bot 2000: Tying in Rant and Rave into the site more… like in reviews

Ah yes we just started doing this in some of our reviews, why don’t you check out the recent ones here.

Continuing my coverage of the coverage of Tokyo Game Show (you like that?) I’ve got a bit more to show you, in the ways of news, screenshots, and videos. And look, I’ve even grouped them by headers!

News:
Dead Rising 2: The protagonist Chuck Greene is a game show contestant on the reality TV program entitled Terror is Reality (see previously posted video). The show is composed of four different modes, snarkily named “Ramster Ball,” “Headache,” “Pounds of Flesh,” and “Slidecycles.” “Ramster Ball” puts the player in his/her own giant steel hamster ball, a device that serves as a pinball in a zombie-smashing funfest. “Headache” features a hat-dispensing machine in the middle of a horde of zombies. The hats, however, are blenders that just happen to be custom-fitted for zombies. Once you fill your role as Tailor of Death (yeah, I made that up), you must run to the edge of the board in order to hit a button that turns on your hats…OR you can throw dynamite to blow up the other players’ soon-to-be-shredded zombies before they can score their own points. “Pounds of Flesh” straps a different hat onto the player’s head…this one is a motorcycle helmet fitted with giant metal antlers. In this game the player serves as a very angry moose, ramming zombies in order to stack them up on your giant scale. Best weigh-in wins. “Slidecycles” features that awesome chainsaw-modded motorcycle I mentioned in a previous post. In this final game the player simply drives his deathwheels through a crowd of zombies, some of which are worth extra points…these special targets are distinguished by a pink balloon on their heads. This game just can’t come out soon enough. Source

Final Fantasy XIII: A fast and easy set of pros and cons, per Destructoid. Pros are that summoned creatures also serve as vehicles, a la Transformers. Over-the-top is back in the form of dazzling transformations and amazing visuals. Battles are fast and simple, setting a steady pace without sacrificing strategy and balance. The cutscenes are gorgeous, featuring excellent voice acting. Finally, treasure box traps (or Mimics, for those of you who play[ed] Dungeons and Dragons] are back, keeping adventurers on their toes. Cons that Destructoid noted include floaty camerawork, excessive action points that unnecessarily direct the player, generic enemies jump you often, sensory overload during battles can become excessive, and the traditional victory theme song is (as of yet) conspicuously missing. See, wasn’t that painless?

South Park Let’s Go Tower Defense Play!: Set to release on October 7th; cost is 800 Microsoft Points ($10)

Screenshots:
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Screenshots
Raystorm HD (XBLA) Screenshots

Videos:
Avatar Gameplay – Link

Bayonetta Trailer
Beautiful Katamari with Natal

Bioshock 2 Multiplayer Trailer: http://tinyurl.com/yaerwdv
Brutal Legend Demothon Trailer
Crackdown 2 Demo
Crackdown 2 Gameplay
Dead Rising 2 Multiplayer: Headache Video
Dynasty Warriors: Strike Force
Final Fantasy XIII Gameplay

FF XIII “Lightning” Demo
FF XIII “Snow” Demo
GTA IV: Ballad of Gay Tony: Tony Prince Trailer
Gyromancer (XBLA) Trailer
Mass Effect 2′s “Subject Zero”
Nier Gestalt Trailer
Resonance of Fate Trailer
Splinter Cell: Conviction

Woo! I, for one, am getting pretty amped about Dead Rising 2. I never picked up the first Dead Rising, but this multiplayer looks and sounds awesome! I guess I’ll have to bide my time with Zombieland for now. What are you guys excited about? And has TGS changed your views on any of the titles? Visit the forums and let us know!

Hey guys, thanks for stopping by! The 2009 Tokyo Game Show has unearthed a few sparkly little gems thus far, and we’ve compiled some of the more interesting tidbits to date. Keep an eye here and at the forums for more gathered information from around the web regarding Microsoft.

G4 started off with a list of games that would appear at this year’s show:

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Dead Rising 2
Bayonetta
Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep
White Knight Chronicles
Tekken 6
Tatsunoko vs. Capcom
Lost Planet 2
Gran Turismo 5
Assassin’s Creed II
Splinter Cell: Conviction
Red Steel 2
James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game

Personally, I wasn’t not as stoked about the lineup thus far as I was about PAX’s. Some of the titles are pretty groovy to me, but I’m keeping an eye and ear out for real Easter eggs.

Naturally, there’s been a bit more on Project Natal, Microsoft’s new “it” that is getting so much hype these days. Microsoft representatives put out this word regarding some of the developers jumping on the bandwagon:

“Among the elite publishers actively working on games for Project Natal are Activision Blizzard, Bethesda Softworks, Capcom, Disney Interactive, Electronic Arts, Konami, MTV Games, Namco Bandai, Sega, Square Enix, THQ Inc. and Ubisoft. Together, these publishers account for more than 70 percent of third-party software sales for this generation of console and most of the world’s most recognized video game franchises.”

Wow. Sounds like a lot of heavy hitters are on board for this. This only augments my already indescribable excitement for this enterprise if it actually turns out the way it’s hyped.

Some news regarding Forza and XBLA, per Major Nelson:

“Forza fans will see the return of the fan favorite track Fujimi Kaido track to Forza Motorsport 3. You can see a video of the new track and more at Forzamotorsport.net. In addition, a slew of Japanese cars that will be available for Forza Motorsport 3 were also announced.

In Xbox LIVE Arcade news, Snoopy Flying Ace, Toy Soldiers, 0 Day Attack on Earth, Bomberman Live Battlefest and RayStorm HD will be coming to Xbox LIVE Arcade.

A community unlockable level was announced for Joy Ride, along with three new game modes.

South Park Let’s Go Tower Defense Play! will launch on October 7th for 800 Points…”

For those interested, here is a link to the queue for the TGS videos so you can watch them on your Xbox 360: link.

A real gem of a find is the leaked levels of game completion revealed in the official magazine handed out at TGS:

Gran Turismo 5: 65%
Final Fantasy XIII: 90%
Okamiden: 25%
Lost Planet 2: 70%
Valkyria Chronicles 2: 70%
Yakuza 4: 65%
The Last Guardian: ?
Crackdown 2: ?
Alan Wake: ?
Halo Reach: ?
Final Fantasy XIV: 50%
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker: 50%
God of War III: 60%
Heavy Rain: 50%

Source

Text searching is arriving at XBL’s door, due to customer demand. You’ll first see this in the soon-to-come Zune Marketplace, which will be replacing the Video Marketplace:

“One of the most request features for Xbox Live, especially as the service becomes loaded with more and more content, is text search. As it stands, users have to move through menus. The menus have become more useful, but search would be better. Text search is being introduced to Xbox Live with the upcoming Zune Marketplace, which will replace the video marketplace. Microsoft demonstrated the feature during an Xbox Live demo at Tokyo Game Show 2009 and it works as advertised.

The next question I had, naturally, was whether this search functionality would be coming to the rest of Xbox Live. It would be incredibly useful with Netflix and the game marketplace. Microsoft wouldn’t outright confirm that text search was coming to the rest of Xbox Live, but it sounds likely…”

Source

Finally, a little bit on Joy Ride.

Microsoft showed off a new map at TGS for this upcoming free-to-play title scheduled for a “holiday” release, but one of the cooler revelations is that community play will unlock more content. Vehicle customization is achieved with coins that can be earned in game or purchased, shades of what Dungeons and Dragons Online is currently doing with their DDO Store’s Turbine/Favor Points used to unlock and purchase content. I’m not a huge fan of racing games that don’t involve red turtle shells, but I have to admit the more I hear about this game, the better it sounds.

Source

That’s a bit of the news so far. Remember to check back at the 360 Rant Rave forums here for more information, including news from PAX and other industry events, game reviews, and maybe even a few prizes now and again! Until then!

Introduction

Batman: Arkham Asylum is a thrilling look into the dark corners of the Caped Crusader’s mythos. This stealth/action title was released in August 2009 by developer Rocksteady Studios and publishers Eidos Interactive, Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment, and DC Comics. A gorgeous game with a veritable utility belt of tools at its disposal, Arkham Asylum is ready to BAM! and ZOW! its way right into your heart. A bit much? Sorry about that. The story thus far is that the Joker has found his way back to Arkham Asylum after suspiciously minimal fighting. Batman is wary of a possible trap, yet he has no choice but to bring his archenemy back to the asylum, where his belongs. Aaaand things begin to go south from there. Keep reading, and I’ll try my best not to throw in an old-school witty palm-punching interjection a la Robin. No promises though.

Gameplay

Batman: Arkham Asylum (AA) is an amalgam of stealth and “Freeflow” combat, with a little bit of investigation on the side. Fairly linear in all regards (except for some of the Riddler’s more frustrating secrets), AA is not a difficult title. In fact, if the protagonist were to find himself leaping or falling to his doom, the player has a few seconds to tap an indicated button in order to “Escape” via grappling hook, in a most dramatic (and automatic) fashion. If you fall in combat, well that’s only a matter of picking up at the most recent of the game’s MANY autosave checkpoints. Defeating enemies and solving riddles bestows upon Batman not only health but also experience to be used at any time on enhancements to gadgets, armor, and Freeflow combat efficiency. Easy to learn from the get-go, AA has a little bit of everything.

Freeflow Combat
The touted “Freeflow combat” in AA highlights Batman’s extensive knowledge of the martial arts, as well as his inherent proficiencies in ass-kickery. Initially, timed corresponding button presses will allow Batman to attack, stun, counter, and takedown enemies that will frequently swarm him. The Dark Knight’s combo meter will climb, creating opportunities to use advanced techniques such as throws. Combat is fluid to the point that Batman at times seems to fly through the air in order to deliver a devastating kick…it’s stunning, really (nyuk nyuk). When the range gets a bit too far for even Batman’s limbs, a quick tap of the appropriate button will fling a Batarang or deploy the Bat-Claw in order to keep the combo going. Lower difficulties will display when an opponent is about to strike, making it relatively easy for beginners to set up simple or extensive combos by stringing together strikes and counters. As the storyline progresses, certain enemies vulnerable to specific attacks (stun then strike, dodge then attack from behind, etc.) will call upon a player’s newly-learned combat techniques in order to avoid taking damage.

Stealth
No matter how much the player might try to will it so, Batman just won’t pick up all those dropped guns! I suppose it’s dishonorable, even though these villains are clearly trying to kill him, but the Caped Crusader prefers to render his enemies unconscious. Never fear, for he is the night, and as such subtlety is his closest companion (sorry Robin). Silent takedowns are a button press away when sneaking behind unsuspecting foes, but that’s just the beginning. Early on you can unlock (through experience points) an Inverted Takedown, which is a hilarious tactic that involves Batman dropping from an overhead gargoyle and stringing up a nemesis that passes directly beneath him. Often other henchman will run to see what just happened by way of curiosity (thugs eventually wear collars that will emit a pulsing sound when the villain is incapacitated) or at the urging of the Joker’s intercom announcements. From perches, Gliding Takedowns are also queued onscreen when the opportunity presents itself. Following up with a strike after leaping upon the unsuspecting henchman will take him out of the fight. Explosives can be strategically deployed and subsequently detonated to take out criminals. And that’s not to mention the modified Batarangs or Bat-Claw…

Detective Mode
Batman’s cowl has built-in x-ray to detect the location of armed and unarmed hostiles and civilians, as well as interactive objects. At times the player will be restricted to what could be compared to a CSI segment, where a certain object or substance must be discovered for tracking purposes. When shadowing an individual after this item is found, the cowl automatically switches to scanning mode to track the fingerprints, DNA, or what have you when necessary. Detective Mode does all this, and more! In order to find many of the Riddler’s hidden statues or points-of-interest, Detective Mode must be active. And if the Riddler wants it but it’s not a statue, it’s got to be scanned. The cowl will do this in the same manner as discovering the desired target from the “crime scene” mentioned earlier; holding a predetermined button for a second or two is all that is required to scan. If the target is out of focus or not properly aligned, there will be an appropriate on-screen warning for that. It’s just that easy!

Gadgets
Batman has a plethora of nifty toys, and many of them find their way into AA. The Grappling Hook/Bat-Claw, Batarang, Explosive Sprayer/Detonator, and Frequency Scanner all find their way into your utility belt, and they get Batpimped along the way. Accrued experience will unlock new toys and modification of old ones, allowing access to previously inaccessible areas of the map. No worries about passing up what is clearly a Riddler trophy, as the game is free-roaming…even after you’ve beaten it, the final checkpoint is just before the very end. This means that at any time you can run around the asylum complex, even if you only want a midnight glide from the clock tower…which I recommend trying, by the way.

Presentation

The audio of AA honestly falls to the wayside. I say this as a compliment. Many games feature mismatched music or trumpeting themes that draw your attention from the game, but not this one. The audio settles quite snug in the background of all the action, adjusting as necessary to what is going on in the game. It lends just enough shadow to this already dark game without smothering it. Running on Unreal Engine 3, AA is a marvelous bit of eye candy. The characters are well-rendered, the skyline is stunning, and viewing the complex from above is breathtaking. Seriously, try the gliding.

Extras

Riddles
Batman’s cowl has a built-in receiver that he uses to correspond with Oracle, his eyes and ears on the outside. At times the Riddler will take over, provoking the Caped Crusader and challenging him to demonstrate his mettle by finding the riddles hidden in the world of AA. Finding these riddles is DEFINITELY worth it, as they award XP and health, while often unlocking character profiles, statues, and patient interview tapes.

Challenge Mode
Challenge Mode has Predator (stealth) and Combat (POW!) maps, which require the player’s savvy to gain top score. Surviving isn’t the only theme here, as each map has its own specific requirements for bonus points. While some objectives are as simple as throwing a Batarang to cut down a victim of an Inverted Takedown so that he falls onto another henchman, these goals naturally vary in difficulty. Prodigal performance on these maps will get your name on the list of online rankings, placing you amongst the best of the best.

Rants and Raves

Rants

• Detective Mode is good. TOO good. I can almost guarantee that you will be seeing blue from playing the majority of AA in Detective Mode. While this certain perspective is quite handy indeed, it lulls the player away from truly appreciating the gorgeous graphics found in the game.
• Finding riddles can be quite frustrating. Although the Riddler was so kind to have hidden guides that will reveal undiscovered riddles on the map as dancing green question marks, it can still be tedious in chasing down all of them in order to finish the game with 100% and maximize your Achievements. Also annoying is that some of the riddles involve finding the top of a question mark somewhere in an area, then finding the dot that goes beneath it, and coordinating your view so the question mark is properly aligned before scanning it for the Riddler. The man is sick, I tell ya. Sick.
• You will want more than the casual cameos of the other villains. You will run into the Joker, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Bane, the Scarecrow, and others, but the Riddler’s quests will guide you to mere cameos of other characters in the world of Batman. While this provides a clever little shout-out to many of the more unsung characters, avid fans will hope in vain to have just a little more than that. At least Harley has a pretty big role in the game!
• Autosaves can be a blessing and a curse. The player does not have true freedom over when to save; rather, this is accomplished by entering/exiting areas of the map, accomplishing key goals in the storyline, and solving riddles. This can be used to your advantage if you keep this in mind, but many players will argue about having to suddenly abandon a game then pick back up at a previously saved checkpoint.

Raves

• Written by Paul Dini, seasoned Batman writer, to grant a straight-from-the-source appeal that is not often found in video games, AA is a winning title while boasting continuity within the character universe. The fact that continuity is maintained (at least to a degree) while maintaining enjoyable gameplay makes this a phenomenal enterprise on the part of DC Comics et al.
• AA features the talents of many of the voice actors from the Batman animated series. Kevin Conroy (Batman), Mark Hamill (The Joker), and Arleen Sorkin (Harley Quinn) have notable contributions to the game, and the Joker’s voiceovers are hilarious. Though his announcements often send his henchmen scattering about the area to look for you, it’s amusing to hear the Clown Prince of Gotham hassling his hired help because you’ve downed one and they haven’t even noticed. The patient interviews are really cool too.
• The Scarecrow’s induced segments can be pretty freaky, and ingenious to boot. There are a couple of instances in particular that will make you do a double-take. You’ll know them when you see them. Very sneaky, Dr. Crane.
• Free Downloadable Content (DLC) was made available in September. This package, entitled the “Insane Night” Map Pack, allowed extended Challenge Mode play. A second free DLC, “Prey in the Dark,” is slated to be released on October 24th.

Conclusion

A nifty little bit of trivia is that Batman: Arkham Asylum dethroned Marvel vs. Capcom 2’s Guinness World Record for “Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game Ever,” beating out the old average of 90.0 with a score of 91.67 from worldwide reviews. It’s hard to argue with that. There is stealth, trophy hunting, and a fluid combat system that vaguely resembles God of War at times…only better. There is a bit of continuity with the Batman mythos lent by Paul Dini mingled with fan favorite voice acting from the animated series. There is an array of techniques employed by Batman and a surprising ease in the ability to execute them. There is a gorgeous, yet haunting world ready to be explored at the player’s whim both during and after following the story arc. Batman: Arkham Asylum is a title that succeeds in so many areas, and it can satisfy anyone from the Batman cognoscente to the casual action/adventure gamer. Once you visit Arkham Asylum, you’ll never want to leave.

Score: 9.5

Let us know what you think about the game and the review here.

Introduction

Culdcept Saga is the first next-generation release of the franchise that also claims games on Sony’s Playstation 1 and 2 and Sega’s Saturn and Dreamcast. Released in 2008 (North America release; Japanese release was in 2006) by developers OmiyaSoft and Jamsworks and publisher Namco Bandai, Culdcept is an intriguing marriage of board games and collectible card games. Being a fan of both Monopoly and Magic: The Gathering, I had to give it a try. After having a bit of fun with the demo, I found a used copy and snatched it up when I reserved Arkham Asylum.

Gameplay

While obviously catering to board game and CCG players, Culdcept is fairly intuitive to new players from the beginning. Traveling princess Faustina finds our character and leads him through a storyline that is laid out between and behind boards in the manner that certain XBLA games (think Puzzle Quest) seem to do. This allows the card/board game to grab the attention at the forefront while splashing a little flavor in the background. Faustina gives little tips about the more intricate details of gameplay both before the match and during your initial rolls on each board while loading screens fill in with illuminating plotline and/or strategy tips. While this hands-on, learn-as-you-go instruction is a boon to new players, Faustina’s tips that come later in the game seem a bit too late, informing the new Cepter (the card-wielders) after the fact about techniques that have already appeared in previous matches.

The bread and butter is that you have a modifiable 50 card deck that you carry with you throughout the game. You can save a number of different modifications to this deck, and cards you win by placing first, second, or third will surely find their way into and out of this one active deck that is your “weapon”. Out of the almost 500 different cards that there are in the game, you must sort through your acquired spells, items, and creatures in order to maximize your efficiency against the decks of various enemies.

Like Monopoly, you roll and progress around a board, claiming spaces in order to gather toll, which results in a payment of magic, the currency in this game. In order to claim these spaces/lands, however, you must summon monsters to hold them. Monsters are typically elementally aligned, as are the spaces, and get defensive benefits for matching with proper lands, and offensive benefits for being placed adjacent to other lands occupied by your creatures. You will get bonuses akin to passing Go in Monopoly by passing Forts and the Castle. If you land on these aforementioned spaces you can manipulate any one of your claimed lands, utilizing unique creature abilities, raising the levels of the lands to increase toll and the value of the elemental chains (built by accumulating more than one of a certain type of land in a certain area of the board), moving your monsters to neighboring lands, or changing the terrain to a more beneficial land. In order to win the game you must obtain the target number in total Magic and return to the Castle first.

Presentation

The visuals and audio of the game are nothing to write home about. The graphics are minimal as this is a game where the biggest trial aside from occasional cutscenes is displaying quasi-3D avatars walking around a board populated by barely moving quasi-3D monsters. The audio is basic enough to not make you want to jump off of a bridge while listening to it on loop for matches that often last hours. There is voice acting during the cutscenes, but this isn’t a sparkly one, folks.

Extras

Culdcept Saga bears its own set of X-Box Achievements, as any other game, but it also has a unique set of requirements that can be met by playing strategically during your matches. Rewards for meeting these goals are in the form of various accessories such as weapons and armor that the player may equip to his avatar to change his in-game appearance. While this has no significance beyond cosmetics, it provides a little more variety to Culdcept Saga, allowing perfectionists and collectors to chase a few more trophies.
While not as bountiful as other genres’ games, Culdcept boasts a single-player Story mode as well as multiplayer mode to cater to both online matchups and local versus mode.

Rants and Raves

Rant

• Since I have a long history of fervent playing of similar games, Culdcept Saga greatly appealed to me. That said, I believe that the game is restricted to this small demographic, as matches can and do at times last for hours. If you are behind, it can be downright agonizing, as playing against multiple AI on certain boards can nullify your best efforts at throwing the game.
• I restarted the game a few times at predetermined points during a suspended game after my roll and my opponent’s roll had worked out against me (so sue me!) and found that our rolls were the exact same. Now as this “convenient fluke” recurred in my repeated tests, I am led to believe that the randomization suggested by the die roll perhaps is actually predetermined. While this may not miff some, it was a bit of a turnoff for me. Note that this only occurred when I resumed from a Suspended game.
• At certain points you are not allowed to check the map (mid roll, halted at a tower, etc.) which is great for tripping up players, but not so much when you play against multiple AI characters who know the board. You can only Suspend the game (a feature that allows you to take up where you left off) at the top of your turn.
• An oddity is that players are able to see each others’ hands when it’s that person’s turn. While this helps to a degree, it takes away from the element of surprise, particularly during player vs. player matches.

Raves

• For all the rants, the game is addictive for those players who fit into the little niche that this game beckons. Yes, oftentimes matches take hours, but I found myself coming back to the game, even after I’ve cursed it for losses that surely were chalked up by good ol’ AI cheating.
• Everyone gets cards at the end of the matches. This “parting gift” is both a small consolation for your efforts as well as an augmentation for your card collection. You might have to lose a couple times in order to be rewarded with the right card or cards that will spell out the defeat of your foe. And it’s a sweet victory indeed when you come back for successful revenge with some cards that your opponent surely laughed about when handing them to you after your defeat.
• Ticomun. This NPC is cuddly one second and homicidal the next. You may hate him during his first match, when he is probably at his best and you are at your worst, but his one-liners are often quite amusing in a “did that little thing just threaten to eat my brains?” sort of way.
• Since this is a marriage of card games and board games, it’s got decent replay value. There is a good library of cards, which means that there are a plethora of different deck combinations, not to mention the effects of the variable boards. While the player base may not be as strong as it used to be, thus lowering the array of players to meet up with for some versus matches, if you make a few friends who love Culdcept then the game definitely pays for itself.

Conclusion

Culdcept Saga is definitely worth checking out if you’re a fan of either Monopoly or Magic: The Gathering. If you’re the impatient sort, however, do not bother, as you will be spending HOURS on certain matches. Unless you’re after the achievements, it’s not really worth renting this one…the real value is in making different decks and trying them all out against (preferably real) opponents. My advice? Keep food, water, and migraine medicine handy…even if you fit into the target audience, there are times you will go into a swearing frenzy.

*Dear Readers, this is our first time trying out a new review format. Please stop by the forums and let us know what you think about it here.

Score: 5.5