This week's iPhone gaming round-up happens to feature two games with zombies in them. I expected as much in the first title. The second's incorporation of the undead, however, was a pleasant surprise.
"Dawn of the Dead" ($1.99)
It takes less than five minutes to crave a better control scheme in "Dawn of the Dead." Ironically, it takes less than fifteen to conquer the game's lackluster campaign. Like a smaller "Soldier of Fortune," "Dawn of the Dead" is a run-and-gun shooter that pits you against zombie hordes as a well-armed survivor. Each level has a special hook to it -- "beat the timer," "find this key," or "stay alive" -- but its clunky on-screen controls and senseless AI fail to entertain. It's best to avoid this unless you're an über-zombie game-fan.
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EA has already gone on the record recommitting to their partnership with Tiger Woods and reassuring that "Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online" will proceed as planned. The same goes for their other Tiger Woods releases, and they now claim that sales figures since Woods' public problems haven't given them reason to change their forecast.
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If there's one thing that the team at Platinum Games was able to do in "Bayonetta," it was to pack in more angles and perspectives than I have ever witnessed in a gaming experience. Even if the story came off (at least in the English translation) as a rather abstract concept, there are currently ideas festering for a sequel or spin-off.
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"Heavy Rain" hits the U.S. on February 23rd and Europe a day later on the 24th, but curious PS3 owners should get a shot at the new experiment in video game storytelling on February 11th. A demo of the new Quantic Dream title was expected, but Sony has now confirmed the date for is PSN arrival.
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So you purchased a skateboard controller for "Tony Hawk: Ride," realized it wasn't a very good game, and now you're sitting at home, wondering what to do with this worthless hunk of plastic. Well, good news! According to Twitter, Tony Hawk is collaborating with Robomodo, the developer of "Tony Hawk: Ride" on a new project! If they continue the trend from the first game, you'll now have two mediocre extreme sports games to enjoy with your hunk of plastic! Here's the post made by the Hawkman:
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The first of two downloadable content packs will be coming to "Assassin's Creed 2" on January 28th for both PSN and Xbox Live. Titled "Battle of Forli," it'll take place in the town of Forli, a segment of the "Assassin's Creed 2" map that was hardly used in the main campaign. It'll flesh out the story of Caterina Sforza, was rescued by Ezio from near-certain dampening after she became stranded on a rock in the middle of the harbor.
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"Critter Crunch," one of the very best games on PSN, is on sale for a piddling $3.49. Considering the game hasn't exactly burned up the sales charts, despite its excellence, I'm hoping that the new price tag will introduce some more fans to the glories of adorable, vomiting marmots.
If you are one of the clever few that have purchased it, though, there are plenty more PSN games on sale. Here's the list:
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Since it's already been hashed and re-hashed quite a few times, I don't think I need to reiterate the concerns that have developed around Rockstar Games in recent weeks. If you're looking for a primer, you can read this post, which attempts to detail the basics. While I was able to get former employees to speak about the company, there's been no official statement made about the concerns, save for a generic "Rockstar does not comment on rumors or speculation." Until now!
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Vicious Cycle Software is aware that 2009's "Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard" wasn't a good game. Overt references to the critical reception and development of the title smothers "Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond" like a wool blanket on a steamy afternoon. And while there is much to be said about just how bad "Eat Lead" was, it should be noted that "Blood Bath and Beyond" is much different and in some respects, a much improved game over its predecessor.
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Just because you know the eventual outcome in a game doesn't mean that it can't be a worthwhile playing experience, and Bungie stressed that in describing their approached to "Halo: Reach." The new prequel treads on events already established in the "Halo"-verse, so it presented a significant challenge to the creative team when they began mapping it out. [There are spoilers after the jump, by the way, in case you haven't played any "Halo."]
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