» dlc Plus XP

Posts Tagged ‘dlc

Jul

Scott Pilgrim Vs The World: The Game

Categories: Article, Game News and Preview
Tags: 2D, Beat em up, dlc, PlayStation Network, PSN, Scott Pilgrim, Scott Pilgrim Vs The World, Scott Pilgrim Vs The World The Game, side scrooling, Ubisoft, XBL, XBLA, Xbox Live Arcade

Castle Crashers + Streets Of Rage = A beat ‘em up to rival them all

Back on the Sega Mega-Drive, one of my favorite games I would play constantly was Streets Of Rage 2. For some reason 1 and 3 didn’t compare to the second outing of thug bashing. Plus there was a kid on roller blades who I thought was awesome. So I started off playing beat ‘em ups, a side from the classic FPS games which I don’t really need to mention now.

When I finally got to play Castle Crashers on XBL I loved it, but for the life of me couldn’t complete the damn thing on my own. It was a perfect mix of old school beat ‘em up, plus some awesome medieval and quite comical graphics and theme, it was truly a game that brought back some fond memories.

Since then I have been thinking, what would be the perfect game to combine Castle Crashers and Streets Of Rage 2? Well put simply, there wasn’t one out on the market…Untill now.

Continue reading ‘Scott Pilgrim Vs The World: The Game’

Jul

A long hot summer with Indie games

By GuitarGirl24 1 Comment

Categories: Demo review, Gaming Musings, General and Review
Tags: Apple Jack, Avatar ninja, Avatar paintball, Baby make extreme, Bloody death, dlc, downloadable content, I Maed a gam3 w1th zombies 1n it!!!1, indie, indie games, microsoft points, Miner dig deep, Try not to fart, x-box live

Mini Demo Reviews

The long hot summer is officially here and aside from E3 not a lot has been catching my attention recently. Perhaps the lack of exciting new games is a ploy by the ice-cream men to make us all go outside and see some real sunlight. Or maybe all of the developers just thought “Sod it, its too hot! Lets go to a water park…” and have left their respective offices in search of summer merriment. I suppose its probably more likely that everyone is simply saving their new releases until prime Christmas present buying season, but I like my reasons better. At least they had ice-cream.

Ice cream and water parks aside I am still left with a problem. How do I fill the long pre-Christmas gaming void in the summer months ahead. The sun is all well and good for a while, but how am I meant to entertain myself when extremely hot, sunburnt and more likely than not feeling just plain Lazy? I needed a solution, and luckily I soon had a plan. Indie games. Indie game manufactures don’t stop because of the heat and even better than this I don’t even need to venture out of my relatively cool flat for new content. One problem though, which to buy? With so much Downloadable content available on live how do you chose which Indie title is most deserving of your hard saved Microsoft points? I feel some mini reviews coming on…

Continue reading ‘A long hot summer with Indie games’

Apr

Plus XP’ Inside Look Episode 7: Edward, Bill, and Left 4 Dead.

By Jokesound 1 Comment

Categories: Plus XP's Inside Look
Tags: dlc, Left 4 Dead, Left 4 Dead 2, The Passing, Zombies

Disclaimer: The interviews for Inside Look are the ideas of the Plus XP Team ONLY and are not the ideas of the creators and developers of the games. All characters interviewed in Inside Look remain the property of the video game developers and creators. Basically we are sorry if we took your characters guys, we promise we’ll give them back.

WARNING: This weeks episode will contain a small spoiler from ‘The Passing’ DLC for Left For Dead 2. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Edward: Hello, and welcome to Plus XP’s Inside Look! I’m your host for this week, Edward Price, so let’s give a warm round of applause to me!

…

Oh, that’s fine. I see how it is. Jerks.

Anyway, since my long rehabiliation after my last Inside Look and despite being fired after my last article here at Plus XP, I finally decided I was healthy enough to come back and give everyone another Inside Look into the amazing world of videogames!

This week, already here on the couch ready to be interviewed is one of Plus XP’s favourite new gaming characters to come out of a new favourite series of games, Bill from Left 4 Dead!

Bill’s here to promote the new downloadable content for Left 4 Dead 2, “The Passing”. New weapons, new locations, and the return of the original cast, tying together the two stories and leading to loads more fun for Left 4 Dead fans!

So, to those less educated about Bill, he’s a Green Beret and a Vietnam veteran. So I guess that the harrowing conditions in which you and three of your friends had to battle your way through relentless hordes of infected people was in some ways, similar at least to your previous incarnations in the army, Bill?

Okay, yeah, that’s probably quite a hard question to start off with… Would you say it at least, made you the most prepared of the other survivors?

Okay, so you don’t want to answer that either. Okay, uhhh…

Uhhh, this is pretty difficult if you don’t even attempt to reciprocate conversation. Uhh, is this a new Cologne you’re wearing? It’s very potent, at the least…

Your favourite weapon?

Favourite character from L4D2? I’m still tied between Ellis and Nick, myself. Did you find yourself getting on with any of them?

Wanna hear a funny story about when I was playing Left 4 Dead 1? Basically, me and my friend Keith…

…

He died.

Look, Bill, just because you’re covered in boomer bile, bloody, and now canonically dead doesn’t mean that you can’t answer some questions! Everyone at home is expecting some serious gaming journalism here, and I can’t deliver that to them if you don’t at least answer some questions or at least plug the new Passing DLC! Available via downloadable content free for PC and 560 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360! Get yours today!

Garvaos: Hey wait, he’s canonically dead?

Ed: Yeah, apparently he’s dead now.

Leon: How did that happen?

Ed: Well, you’ll probably have to buy “The Passing” to find out! The new downloadable content for-

Leon: Wait, you said covered in boomer bile? And can you stop working in product placement into your regular speech? It’s kind of annoying.

Ed: Yeah, that boomer bile made it really difficult to carry him away from that dumpster Valve left him in. It kind of stinks, don’t you think? It’s like somebody cooked animal poop and human flesh into chip grease, except the chip grease makes it almost smell kind of like something you’d buy and eat if you were drunk out on the town in the early hours of the morning… Anyone feel like a kebab later?

Garvaos: You idiot! You’re just going to attract hordes of zombies after us!

Ed: Uh-uh-uh! They’re not zombies! They’re infected humans! If you start lumping the infected humans with the zombies, that just makes you look like a racist.

Garvaos: Against zombies?

Ed: They have feelings too! Granted, those feelings are mostly hunger and lust for human flesh…

Garvaos: Ed, you’ve probably attracted loads of… “infected humans”… I can’t really do the quote marks while I’m still in this chair you tied me to… Anyway, Ed, you’ve probably attracted loads of them here. I can hear them outside right now!

Ed: Those were infected? I thought they were screaming, adoring fans! I signed like, 20 autographs!

Leon: How do you sign autographs while being attacked?

Ed: It’s a skill you pick up quickly if you want to survive in this business.

Leon: This business?! You tied us up to these chairs while we were sleeping, threw Bill on the couch and started throwing questions at him like a monkey throwing poop! The only reason no one else is saying anything is because you gagged them! Also because you threw monkey poop at them and quite frankly we’re all scared you’re going to start doing that again.

Ed: Wait, if they were infected, that means that… Oh man, I hope she was just ugly…

Garvaos: They’re probably going to get in soon! You’re going to have to let us out of these chairs and help us beat them off!

Ed: …They can beat themselves-

Leon: Goddammit Ed I will kill you if you don’t let us out of these chairs right now!

Ed: Okay, jeez, fine. Man you guys are whiny when someone’s tied you up and thrown animal faeces on you…

Garvaos: Where did you even get that much faeces?

Ed: Where else were all the Timesplitters monkeys going to go when Free Radical went under?

Leon: You gave them back when they became Crytek UK, right?

Ed: As far as they know…

Garvaos: Now’s not the time! Leon, untie everyone else!

Ed: Actually, can we wait until after we’ve repelled the infected? I get the feeling they’re all going to betray me or something.

Leon: Really? Really?

Garvaos: Guys! Shut up! Untie them anyway, and we’ll sort this out after the epic battle!

Ed: Can anyone think of a really awesome line or something that people will quote from now on that we can use before we go out there?

Everyone: Nope.

Leon: Anyone got the time?

Ed: I’d say it was A Quarter Past Dead… No? Nothing? The response to that one was Dead Silent.

…Still nothing? I’ve guess it’s better to face this problem… Dead On!

Garvaos: You’re still fired. In fact, if we get out of this alive, we’re not only putting you back in that rehab centre that we’re not entirely sure how you escaped from, but I’m going change the locks and fire you again.

Ed: Oh. Well, shit.

What happens to the PlusXP crew? Will they survive their terrible ordeal? How will they defeat the hordes of Infected? And what happened to Bill? Only one way to find out the answer to all of these questions! Get “The Passing” downloadable content for Left 4 Dead 2! Free for PC and 560 Microsoft Points for the Xbox 360! Note: None of these questions will actually be answered upon purchase of content.

Garvaos: Triple fired.

Ed: Oh, goddammit!

Jan

Have Developers Taken Things Too Far?

By Garvaos 6 Comments

Categories: Article and Rant
Tags: dlc, downloadable content, GTA IV, Left 4 Dead 2, PlayStation Network, Sould Caliber IV, Xbox live market place

Back in the days when I was playing the PlayStation 2 and the Original Xbox. I didn’t give a second thought to downloadable content (or DLC to us savvy gamers out there) or game add ons. I would spend hours on end happily playing and replaying games. Back on the PS2 I was playing things like Tekken and Soul Caliber happy in the knowledge that if I wanted that new costume or new character for my roster. I would have to work through the game to earn it.

I have been without Xbox Live for about two months now, and I am pretty damn surprised on how much stuff I am missing out on. I feel like that the games I got for Christmas are significantly missing something without access to DLC. I have had Fallout 3 for some time now and haven’t bought any of the story Add on packs, I feel like I only have half a game now, god knows if Boarderlands will follow the same suit.

So are game developers crossing the line here? Well for starters I can think of some perfect examples where, without a shadow of a doubt, Developers are taking the biscuit. Lets take Soul Caliber IV into consideration here. Now your probably have a pretty good idea on what I am gonna say here but, for those of you who don’t know, when soul caliber IV was released they released star wars own Yoda for the Xbox 360 version and Darth Vader for the PS3 version. Absolutely no problem with that, seeing as Soul Caliber 2 did the same thing (They released Haihanchi for PS2, Link for Game Cube and Spawn for Xbox.) So when you played through Soul Caliber IV and eventually unlocked all the characters there was still a blank space for a character. About a month later Namco releases Darth Vader for Download on the Xbox Live Market Place and Yoda up for grabs on the PlayStation Network, you have to pay for both of these characters in order to down load them. A bit stingy to my mind seeing as Soul Caliber 2 had no option to get the other console exclusive charters. It was then uncovered that both Vader and Yoda had already been programmed into both the PS3 and Xbox versions of the game, meaning you were paying for a means to unlock the character as opposed to actually downloading it. What….The…..F&$£!

'Scuse Me While I Go And Waste Money On Something That I Already Have

Street Fighter IV did the same with downloadable costume packs, but it is not only the fighting games that are being a little cheap with DLC games such as Ninja Gaiden II which also had downloadable costumes. But the DLC saga doesn’t stop there. Before the release of GTA Episodes From Liberty City the lost and damned and the ballad of gay tone were DLC only, they had all these new element to add to the GTA IV environment which weren’t in the original game, meaning that when they came out Niko’s city seemed really empty compared to the city that Johnny and Luis were in. With that example in mind, it does beg the question whether Developers are making half arsed attempts of games? Because in the back of their minds they are thinking, ‘Oh, its ok we can bulk it out with DLC at a later date, also means more money for us‘ (Que Pound Signs in the eyes).

Even though there are Developers out there who are just milking the cash cow of each release they have. There are some out there who I have the utmost respect for, because they are making and releasing their titles with minimal DLC and putting the new improved stuff in the next game. Perfect example is Left 4 Dead. First game had the minimum of killing zombies with guns and explosives and fighting you way through the hordes to survive. Left 4 Dead 2 is an improvement on that with much more, like gun upgrades, melee weapons, new enemies etc etc. So why the hell did L4D fans start complaining and boycotting this game just because they thought it would be better as a DLC pack!? Back on the PS2 no one thought ‘Hang on a second. I refuse to buy GTA Vice City because its only an updated GTA III, I want a game add-on disk!‘ It just doesn’t make sense. To my mind DLC has made the gaming world go a bit barmy, with Developers thinking money money money and games not knowing really what is makes really good DLC.

A Welcome Addition To The Zombie Slaying Sequel

For me some DLC can be justified, other are just taking the mickey. I can understand story add-ons to make the game longer but new costumes you have to pay money for? Really? Rockband and Guitar hero must be laughing at the moment. I hate to be the poor soul who went and bought the Band kit then every single DLC song under the sun. They have probably spent more money on that than the console they are playing it on.

Garv

Dec

Yo ho ho, it’s Water in LBP!

By Leon Leave a Comment

Categories: Game News and Review
Tags: disney, dlc, littlebigplanet, Media Molecule, pirates, pirates of the caribbean, ps3, water

Last night saw the release of the long-awaited Water feature in LittleBigPlanet, in the shape of the Pirates of the Caribbean level pack. As with the Metal Gear Solid level pack (which contained the Paintinator gun tool), it introduces a brand new gameplay element in the form of a brand-themed DLC level set. I downloaded it, equipped my best piratey gear and dove in.

potcscreen1

The levels are very loosely based on the popular Disney movies, revolving mainly around having to find a legendary ship which can defeat the Kraken, the most feared beastie of the seas. You travel through areas such as Port Royal and the cannibal islands, with plenty of swimming and jumping around on boats and skulls. I’m a fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies - and although there are odd references dotted around, it felt a little generic at times, aside from the odd key area such as the waterwheel-ride seen in Dead Man’s Chest. The levels themselves weren’t bad, but I must admit I wasn’t as impressed with the attention to detail as I had been with the Metal Gear pack. However, I did enjoy a couple of the scenes with the Kraken, with one particular scene in mind toward the end of the levels.

Like the other level packs so far, it’s largely a matter of showcasing the new tool, which allows for swimming and water physics within LBP. There are also a couple of tutorial stages just showing how water tools can be used; explaining buoyancy, global controls and water-related switches.

potcsharks

Sackboy can now swim in open water, and in a Sonic-like fashion has a limited amount of oxygen, which can be refreshed by breathing in underwater bubbles that serve as an air supply. Although not used in the levels themselves, the DLC also adds a Scuba Gear power-up item which works much like an underwater Jetpack, albeit slower and granting you infinite air supply. Water also has the added detail of being able to extinguish fire, which is a nice touch. However, it is a global setting, limited to creating an overall water level within the stage that can be lowered or raised to create pools or affect buoyant materials, rather than an object to be manipulated. So although it has a lot of potential, don’t expect to be able to do anything too crazy like creating fountains or water slides; yet people always seem to be able to creatively replicate these ideas so it’s not a total loss.

For a small £4.79, its well worth picking up the pack if you enjoy creation, as the water is a good solid tool – perhaps the largest core tool that LBP really was missing – no longer will people need to create their own water effects using foggy glass and an obscured jet-pack. Included is also a Cannibal costume to obtain along the way, which is a nice little touch, albeit a bit freaky compared to the rest of LBP’s denizens.

potckraken

Also available is a separate pack of six POTC costumes, for the same price as the level pack – £4.79. Although this is the same price as most costume packs, it contains six whole outfits that are nicely detailed representations of the major characters of the series; Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, Elizabeth Swan, Captain Barbossa, Davy Jones and Tia Dalma (the crazy sea witch). The characters look great, and there’s a lot of good parts to play around with, even though the Jack Sparrow and Davy Jones head pieces are perhaps a little specific if you want to create your own concoctions. Sadly Jones’ face and hat are a joined item, so making crazy alien octopus creatures sadly won’t be as easy as it could have been. That said, the mask is organic-looking and changes with Sackboy’s facial expressions, so it’s cool nonetheless.

potccostumes

If you are into creation, or maybe enjoy getting a few extra Trophies then it’s worth a go; the levels aren’t bad but are nothing spectacular (compared to some of the other creations I have seen in the last year). For the Water tools, the price is fair and theres plenty of other creation parts such as music, textures and stickers. However, if you’re not into creation and aren’t fussed with the official levels, you’ll be able to play other peoples’ water levels online without paying for the POTC pack yourself.

Overall the stages are fine, but I found the Metal Gear Solid pack to be more… erm, Solid, as a level pack in itself. However, the included Water tool is a worthwhile creation element and is a steal at £4.79 for it’s real potential in a Creator’s hands.

-Leon