Skylanders…The Giants Are Coming!

Skylanders have becoming an huge, unexpected, success for Activision.  Quite frankly they took a big gamble on this but, wow, has it ever payed off.  People haven’t been this crazed about something like this since they had to “catch them all”.  These little babies have been a scalpers dream…buying them for $7 – $10 and selling them for at minimum for $40+.  In some cases, quadruple that number.  Then comes the special colored Skylanders that sell for obscene amounts.

So, with this big cashcow sitting in Activisions’ hands…what are they to do?  Why announce a sequel of course, scheduled for October-ish the last I’ve heard.

So what’s the deal with these Skylander Giants?  The story is based around these Giants, whom were the first Skylanders,  have been buried for thousands of years (for some reason).  Well, they have now arisen and let’s just say that they’re not too happy for being buried so long.

 

There will be 8 Skylander Giants, one for each element, and 12 new Skylanders for all of us to hunt down (two pictured above). But what about these other 32 Skylanders from the first game?  Don’t worry, they are compatible with Skylanders Giants.  But, unfortunately, that only goes one way…these new Skylander will not be accessible in the old game.  Your Skylanders stats and abilities will also carry over to Giants, so if you got them all to level 10 then they will be level 10 when starting Giants.

In addition to the new Skylanders, some of the Skylanders from the older game will be receiving a make-over (and a re-release).  Why?  Well, because of the new “lighting” that will be introduced with Skylanders Giants.  It’s said they they just have to be placed near the portal  for them to light up and not directly on it.  You can see Zook & Prism Break in the pictures below with their shiny new lighting system.

 

So what do you all think about Giants and the new renditions of the older Skylanders?  Will you be purchasing this when it releases later this year?  I know I will be!

[ACHIEVEMENTS] The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead [8 Achievements/100 Gamerscore]

(Achievements Could Contain Spoilers)

Out of the Frying Pan (10)
Complete chapter 1 of episode 1.

Adventures in Babysitting (10)
Complete chapter 2 of episode 1.

In Your Charge (10)
Complete chapter 3 of episode 1.

Rock and a Hard Place (10)
Complete chapter 4 of episode 1.

It’s Just One Bullet (10)
Complete chapter 5 of episode 1.

XBLA Wednesday – April 24th, 2012

This week sees another of the ARCADE NEXT titles released.  From the looks of it, if you liked the style of Viking: Battle For Asgard you will probably like this one as well.

Bloodforge
Developer: Climax Studios
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Price: 1200 MSP

With a brutal combat system, stunning art style, and a deeply compelling story, Bloodforge empowers you to slaughter hordes of demonic soldiers, deformed worshippers, and the gods themselves, using ferocious Rage Kills, devastating Rune attacks, and furious Weapon Combos. Help seal Crom’s fate – and the fate of the rest of the world – in this dark, visceral story of revenge, betrayal, and destiny.

Deep Black Episode 1
Developer: Biart Company
Publisher: 505 Games
Price: 800 MSP

A Sci-fi project featuring detailed, action-packed underwater combat which will introduce a new trend in the TPS genre. An Exciting game play that features the dynamic use of both environments for combats: land and underwater. An original multiplayer mode with underwater battles that offer the player a totally different and new experience! Players will descend the murky depths in pursuit of enemies armed with a selection of underwater equipment that range from a specialized suit with jet pack and integrated harpoon as well as other high tech equipment. With the majority of the game play taking place below the water’s surface, action-adventure fans will need to master new skills to fight hostile enemies and to infiltrate enemy bases. The story line takes place in the nearest future in a world of unsteadiness, chaos, espionage, terrorism and the desperate fight for world supremacy and possession of sophisticated biological weaponry.

So will you be picking up either of these titles this week?

[ACHIEVEMENTS] Crimson Dragon

Crimson Dragon [20 Achievements/400 Gamerscore]

(Achievements Could Contain Spoilers)

Mission Accomplished (30)
Completed every mission.

Seeker of Truth (30)
Obtained the Extas Bullet skill.

Ultimate Priest (30)
Healed allies 20 times total in co-op mode.

Perfect Harmony (20)
Achieved a 100% kill rate in co-op mode.

Newbie Helper (10)
Completed a mission with a player who had not completed that mission.

First Contact (20)
Completed a mission with an unknown player.

Dragon Slayer (20)
Defeated White Phantom and got the White Phantom Core.

The Undertaker (20)
Defeated Megazondaat-G and got the Megazondaat-G Spinal Cords.

William Tell (20)
Defeated Caiman-E and got the Caiman-E Oscillator.

Insect Killer (20)
Defeated Baobab-O and got the Baobab-O Core.

Labyrinth Runner (20)
Defeated Eel-K and got the Eel-K Capacitor Organ.

Genius Pilot (20)
Recovered a total of 500 markers.

Dragon Breeder (20)
One of your dragons learned 30 skills.

New Partner (20)
You got the second dragon.

Eureka! (10)
Your dragon learned a new skill for the first time.

Iron Defenses (20)
Erased more than 20 enemy bullets in a mission.

Bomber (10)
Defeated 10 or more enemies with one action skill.

One Step Towards Veteran (10)
Got a Rank S for one of the missions.

Freshman Researcher (10)
Destroyed the Vespin hive during training.

Secret Achievements

Secret Achievement (40)
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.

[ACHIEVEMENTS] Minecraft

Minecraft [20 Achievements/400 Gamerscore]

(Achievements Could Contain Spoilers)

Into The Nether (40)
Construct a Nether Portal.

Dispense With This (20)
Construct a Dispenser.

MOAR Tools (15)
Construct one type of each tool (one pickaxe, one spade, one axe and one hoe).

Leader Of The Pack (30)
Befriend five wolves.

When Pigs Fly (40)
Use a saddle to ride a pig, then have the pig get hurt from fall damage while riding it.

Cow Tipper (15)
Harvest some leather.

Monster Hunter (20)
Attack and destroy a monster.

[ACHIEVEMENTS] Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City [60 Achievements/1250 Gamerscore]

(Achievements Could Contain Spoilers)

Witness (20)

Witness the beginning of the Raccoon City outbreak.

Corrupted (20)

Complete the second mission of the USS campaign.

Danger, High Voltage! (20)

Complete the third mission of the USS campaign.

Rogue’s Gallery (20)

Complete the fourth mission of the USS campaign.

Betrayal (20)

Complete the fifth mission of the USS campaign.

Down in the Labs (20)

Complete the sixth mission of the USS campaign.

Outbreak Survivalist (25)

Complete all U.S.S. missions on Veteran.

Crysis 3 Revealed, Gameplay Trailer Next Week!

The long anticipated sequel to some of the most impressive graphics ever seen in a video game has finally been announced. Crysis 3.  Before we go into too much detail, check out the teaser trailer below…

Not exact release date have been given, but they have said to expect it Spring 2013 on Xbox 360, not its successor.  The trailer looks quite impressive and I can’t wait to get my hands on the new weapon they showed off, the “composite bow”.

Here are some of the key features in Crysis 3:

• Seven Wonders of the Urban Rainforest –New York City has been contained in a giant nanodome and grown into a unique rainforest with seven distinct environments. Master the ultimate sandbox and turn it into your own personal hunting ground.
• Assess, Adapt, and Attack – Crysis’s highly-acclaimed sandbox gameplay is back with more open levels to let players choose their path and approach. Your upgraded Nanosuit allows brute force or stealth, always giving you more than one option.
• Expanded Multiplayer – Experiment with new ways to customize your Nanosuit and brandthe new game modes.
• The Biggest and Most Explosive Arsenal in Franchise History – In addition to giving you an arsenal of human firearms, Crysis 3 lets you scavenge alien weapons and deploy an all-new signature bow
• The Evolution of CryENGINE – CryENGINE unleashes the power of the Crytek creative team and delivers a visually stunning and varied gameplay experience.

So what do you think of the teaser trailer?  Stay tuned here next week for a gameplay trailer!

Rock Band Weekly – April 24th, 2012

This weeks Rock Band tracks are in need of their fairy godmother as the multi-platinum artist Cinderella hits your rock band library.  Cinderella originated out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and as a band have sold over 20 million albums across this great planet.

Cinderella Pack 01 – 440 Microsoft Points
160 Microsoft Points each.
* = 80 Microsoft Points per track for a Pro Guitar/Pro Bass upgrade 
^ = support for keyboards

• Cinderella – “Nobody’s Fool” ^
• Cinderella – “Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone)” * ^
• Cinderella – “Shelter Me” ^

All tracks are original master recordings

[ACHIEVEMENTS] Pac-Man Kart Rally (WP7)

 Pac-Man Kart Rally (WP7) [12 Achievements/200 Gamerscore]

(Achievements Could Contain Spoilers)

One Step Ahead ( )
Finish 3 races 1 lap before at least 1 opponent.

Dotted Line ( )
Finish an Expert Tournament Race with 10 Pac-Dots.

Gear Head ( )
Unlock all karts and all kart upgrades.

Drift Away ( )
Perform 8 drift boosts in a single race.

Champion ( )
Win all the cups on 1st place.

Hardcore ( )
Finish 3 races without using any power-ups.

Mission Accomplished ( )
Complete all the missions in Challenge Mode.

[ACHIEVEMENTS] Wordament (WP7)

Wordament (WP7) [17 Achievements/ 200 Gamerscore]

(Achievements Could Contain Spoilers) 

Swipe those tiles ()
Complete 10 rounds.

Spin Cycle ()
Rotate the board and find more words in a round.

Beat your Frenemies ()
Beat all your Frenemies in a round.

Multilingual ()
Play Wordament in more than one language.

CH a CH IN g ()
Find a digram word in a round.

Theme word ()
Find a theme word in a round.

Sore fingers ()
Complete 100 rounds.

Star Trek Teaser Video Released

Since the most recent Star Trek movie came out in 2009, the fans have been wondering where the video game is at.  Well, this isn’t a direct movie tie-in (thankfully).  But it is supposed to “bridge the gap” between the first movie and next years Star Trek movie.

While details have been scarce, it is known that you this is a third-person shooter that you and a friend can play through the campaign cooperatively as Kirk & Spock.  Both character, obviously, have different play styles.

Darksiders II Gets Pushed Back To August 2012

Darksiders II, originally planned to come out June 26th, has now been pushed back until August 2012.  If you have not played the first Darksiders game, I highly recommend you go get it now.  It’s definately worth the price that I’m sure it has dropped down to now.

THQ’s reason for this delay it to polish the game so that we will receive the best Darksiders experience possible.  The THQ blog post goes on to say…

“In game development, more time is always a good thing for quality and the Vigil team is dedicated to providing the definitive Darksiders experience.”

“Nothing is more important to us than quality and thankfully our company’s current operational position allows us to make the right choice for Darksiders II. As we’ve stated in numerous articles and videos, Darksiders II is substantially larger game than its predecessor and the ambition of this project requires extra time to polish to the high standards that Vigil Games and THQ are committed to.”

So, this is a great move by THQ in my opinion.  How often have publishers and developers rushed games out only to release a slew of patches in the following weeks?  Props to you THQ.

So what are your thoughts on the delay?