Talk about an overwhelming day of news, folks. Germany’s Gamescom has kicked off and the gaming industry is doling out screenshots, footage, and announcements galore. And when I say “galore,” I actually mean “too goddamn much to keep up with, please poke my eyes out so that I don’t short out my brain." We…we may have different definitions of "galore.”
But like a rising phoenix shooting towards the sky or, more similarly, a great white shark leaping from the ocean so as to tell a seagull just how the fuck he feels about gravity…The Roundup has risen once more.
- The Winter Wonderland* that is Dead Space 3 got itself a release date. You’ll get to dilute your solitary scares with this co-op turn for the series on February 5th. The game is also receiving a special edition packed with advanced suits and weaponry designed for battle against close encounters of the fucked up kind. (*Winter Wonderland can be substituted in this case by “Tundra Based, Pants-Shitting Nightmare.)
- Todd Papy, the man sitting on the director’s seat for God of War: Ascension, revealed plans for a multiplayer beta in "the near future." In yet another bid to twist your arm into Indian-burn levels of submission, PlayStation Plus subscribers are promised early access to the beta. Papy also suggested there may be some "secret inroads” to beta access; presumably you have to either name your newborn Kratos or sacrifice a virgin on an altar of PS3’s (we’ve contacted Sony for clarification).
- Speaking of the big S, the publisher pulled back the curtain on a brand new PS3 exclusive by the name of Until Dawn, a survival horror game that totes Move functionality. Move controller in hand, the title apparently revolves around the use of a flashlight, pitting the darkness as your enemy. Which shouldn’t surprise you too much since it totally is.
- Speaking of Sony – wait, we’ve been through this. Well, in even more Sony news, the company outlined their new “Cross Buy” promotion. If you decide to buy a brand new Sony title for the PS3, you’ll automatically earn yourself that game’s PlayStation Vita counterpart for free. So far, PlayStation All-Stars, Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault, and (the delayed) Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time will all net you free copies for a separate system you probably don’t even have.
- Resident Evil 6 has embraced the unrelenting horror of the online social age by implementing Resident Evil.Net, a stat collecting service that allows you to bore friends with high scores on Facebook or Twitter, stalk friends’ progress through the game, and compete in global challenges for the right to become a god.
- Two hunters, fourteen C.E.L.L. soldiers, one complete and utter massacre. Crysis 3 has a new multiplayer addition in town called Hunter Mode where the needs of the few are outweighed by the stacks of arrow riddled bodies surrounding those few.
Gamescom Trailer Roundup
- Dead Space 3: Isaac Clarke, mute engineer turned slightly unstable savior of the cosmos, is front and center in this new spot. Dead Space may have only just made it to trilogy status but I’m getting the vibe Visceral has more planned for our exo-suited hero…
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Lost Planet 3: A dash of humanity and a fresh perspective are going a long way in seriously setting this sequel apart from previous entries in phenomenal fashion. Try not to confuse this one with Dead Space’s snowbound misadventures…Spark’s take on Capcom’s wayward franchise is shaping up into something very unique and very worth keeping an eye on.
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The Last of Us: Let me just shove my sarcasm under the mat for a moment and say that this game looks absolutely fucking fantastic. If we truly are nearing the end of this console cycle, then I’m happy to see that we’re finishing her up with aplomb.
- Resident Evil 6: Jake, Sherry, and an army of infected work out their problems an ammo clip at a time in this new gameplay clip. We’re also introduced to a deadly new enemy in the series: goddamned avalanches.
- Star Wars 1313: This teaser doesn’t show anything too substantial but given that the title is meant for next-gen consoles, I’m surprised we’re not staring at a logo for a solid minute.
