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Metareview -- Golden Axe Beast Rider (360, PS3)
Normally, we avoid metareviews of games that have been universally maligned because, well, who cares about them? But reader Joseph P. pointed us to a review this morning that made us reconsider our position on Golden Axe: Beast Rider. Let's see if you can figure out which one it is. Eurogamer (30/100): "Castle Crashers has already shown that there's a market for well-produced 2D hackandslash, but instead we get this utterly charmless and shamelessly derivative 3D shrug of a game. SEGA might as well have released this as The Adventures of Fiery Boob Lady, and left their mothballed franchise with at least modicum of dignity." IGN (32/100): "If had to sum up my feelings for Golden Axe: Beast Rider in five words or less, I'd actually do it in one: hatred. The game is so ridden with poor production values that there's absolutely nothing redeeming about the game, and its checklist of annoying issues will drive all but the already-insane crazy long before it ends." GamePro (40/100): "Fans hoping for a worthwhile update to one of gaming's most revered hack-and-slash franchises will be sorely disappointed by this poorly designed and utterly mediocre title." Play (90/100): "I could write another page on things I love about Beast Rider, like how bloody cool it looks when Tyris slices a body in two or hacks off an arm, subtle homages like scampering gnomes and thorny spikes, the naked body parts that Death Adder's minions use for decoration, how the game runs like a dream on PS3, and how awesome it is that the single-player experience wasn't compromised to add some bogus online crapola, but I think my work here is done." You read that right: A 9 out of 10. How could something like this have happened, you ask? Well, in this missive, reviewer Dave Halverson theorizes that most reviewers didn't even finish the game. We haven't played it ourselves and with Halverson listing "the lack of a multiplayer mode" among the things he loves about Beast Rider, we don't know who to trust. Have any of you given it a shot?
Shipping this week: it begins edition
And here ... we ... go. We're halfway through October and it's finally started. The industry imposed holiday game torrent is upon us. We hope you've saved up some cash (or tidied up your GameFly queue) because, starting now, you're going to need it. Just look at all of these games: Dead Space Saints Row 2 Blitz: The League II Golden Axe: Beast Rider Rock Revolution FIFA Soccer 2009 Yeah, this is going to be a tough couple of months.[Via Joystiq]
The Abrax: Golden Axe's purple chicken evolved?
Sega has released a new video featuring one of the new beasts in Golden Axe: Beast Rider. As the title implies, the beast in question can be ridden. Called the Abrax, the beast looks to be something of an amalgamation of the dragons and the purple chicken-lizard thing from the original arcade game. It has a variety of abilities, including a tail whip, fire breath, and fireballs that take on the properties of mortar shells. All in all, the Abrax looks like a pretty sweet ride, although we can't help but feel something's missing.Check out a video of the original chicken-lizard in action after the break. We're these guys separated at birth, or what?
Forget friends as Golden Axe: Beast Rider releases Oct. 17 in Europe
Sega has announced that Heavenly Golden Axe of War (also known by its official title: Golden Axe: Beast Rider) will release Oct. 17 in Europe. Retailers currently have Oct. 14 listed for North America, but we've contacted Sega of America to confirm. GA:BR is the AAA AA+ title based on the co-op driven, arcade beat 'em up from the early '90s. Sadly, Beast Rider does not feature any co-op play.For that, protagonist stripper Tyris Flare will apparently have to wait until a sequel, as the developers were keen to focus on combat this time around. At least we know what the first back-of-the-box bullet point will be.%Gallery-15436%
Golden Axe video is missing something
Imagine you gathered together a group of video game journalists and told them to recall their fondest memories of the classic Sega arcade game, Golden Axe. Now imagine you created a video montage of said journalists discussing said memories. Now imagine watching that video and not once hearing the word "multiplayer." Seems a little weird, no? And yet, not once in a new Golden Axe: Beast Rider mini documentary (embedded after the brdeak) does a single person mention one of the biggest (if not the biggest) features from the original Golden Axe, multiplayer. Now, we're not saying Beast Rider will be an awful game -- in fact, it looks pretty decent -- but come on. Really? Nobody remembers how awesome it was to take on Death Adder with a buddy? Nobody remembers how our brother used to kick us in the shins when our dwarf accidentally clipped his barbarian with our trusty battle axe?Anyhway, the team at Secret Level seems to be pretty dedicated to the Golden Axe legacy. We just hope someone explains the lack of multiplayer. Somehow, we get the feeling that the answer will sound something like this: "Do you know how successful God of War is?"
Are you prepared for a new Golden Axe: Beast Rider trailer?
It's been three months since we've seen any moving pictures from Golden Axe: In Name Only, but is that enough time to prepare yourself for a new trailer? Have you had enough time to get ready for footage of a title that's so clearly not a Golden Axe game that it's almost kind of adorable? Are you ready for "Not this day!" sure to be one of the classic video game lines of all time? Most importantly (and prominently), are you braced for the most gratuitous digital ass shot of this or any other decade?Feel free to watch above, just don't say we didn't warn you.
Debut Golden Axe: Beast Rider trailer shows protagonist riding beasts
We were heartbroken to learn that the upcoming re-imagining of the once beloved arcade franchise, Golden Axe: Beast Rider, would not feature any co-op gameplay. Our faith in the title was admittedly shaken -- though this debut trailer has officially piqued our interest. After all, who needs friends when you have gigantic, mountable dinosaurs? Though we would have preferred to see some footage of some unassumping, puntable power-up gnomes, the combat in the above video certainly looks enticing -- though the gameplay featured in this preview might be lost on you if your monitor is unable to display the 400 shades of brown apparently used to create the game's visual aesthetic. May we suggest adjusting the title to the slightly more appropriate Burnt Sienna Axe?
GameTrailers TV to debut new Facebreaker, Resident Evil 5 footage
Whether you're in it for the pugilistic spectacle or gratuitous undead hostility, we think there are a few good reasons to catch this Friday's episode of GameTrailers TV on Spike. Not only will we see the character creation mode in EA's cartoonish boxing game, Facebreaker, we'll actually get to see show host Geoff Keighley and EA's Peter Moore break each other's faces. In the game.If you prefer your violence to be dispensed with the pull of a finger (and not the swing of a fist), the episode will also feature new gameplay footage of Capcom's controversial Resident Evil 5. Add a trailer for world-warping shooter Fracture and in-game footage of Golden Axe: Beast Rider, and you have yourself a decent bit of entertainment. You'll find a trailer for the episode, which airs on Friday, May 30th, at 1AM ET/PT, after the break.
Golden Axe returns to consoles in Beast Rider
Click for high-resolution image. The brand new console Golden Axe was on display at Sega's media day event. In this modern reimagining of this classic arcade game, players take on the role of Amazon warrior Tyris Flare. In a variety of skimpy outfits, players must vanquish the evil Darth Vader Death Adder. At Tyris' disposal are massive beasts -– and you'll do more than just ride them. These beasts are killing machines that can be used in a variety of ways.These beasts are tools. According to Joystiq, "you don't heal them and care for them; you use them and grab another. But they're also alive. If they get attacked, you'll have to deal with a feisty beastie." Enemies also have access to beasts, so for those that are interested, you can "expect some hot beast-on-beast combat action."Unfortunately, Golden Axe: Beast Rider will not feature co-operative play of any sort. Apparently, this was a conscious effort by the developers at Secret Level, to ensure that they refine the combat just right. Expect co-op in the myriad of sequels to follow, should Beast Rider proves to be successful.%Gallery-23094%
Golden Axe: Beast Rider impressions
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/xbox/Golden_Axe_Beast_Rider_impressions_no_co_op_play'; Bad news, kids: Golden Axe: Beast Rider won't have any co-op play. Nigel Cook, Senior Producer at Secret Level, Sega's Bay Area studio creating the arcade "reimagining", said it was a "difficult decision" to remove the original's group gameplay and "focus on one player for the first game in the franchise." So, there are going to be more titles, and "the second game in the franchise is going to have all the characters in co-op," but for the first installment it's all about perfecting the combat. Now that you've had a moment to digest the very concept of a Golden Axe without cooperative play, let's discuss that combat system. Beast combat is what makes the game special, Cook tells us, but it's not the only combat offered. He compared the game's melee system to action paragon Devil May Cry, and the arcade's magic system is back as well. First, the beasts: There are five offered in the game including a giant gorilla, a cheetah-like cat thing that can become invisible, and the "raptor," an enormous T-Rex-esque reptile with a scorpion tail. As you can see, historical accuracy is very important in Beast Rider.%Gallery-15436%
New screens of Golden Axe: Beast Rider
San Francisco-based studio Secret Level has released new screenshots from the upcoming Golden Axe: Beast Rider. The title was first announced waaay back in 2006, and promises to be a next-gen upgrade to the classic side-scrolling, hack 'n slash Sega series. The game is currently slated for a summer 2008 release, and is coming to Xbox 360 and PS3 (no beast-riding love for the Wii, it seems).The shots disclosed so far don't reveal much in terms of the gameplay, but our journalistic sixth-sense tells us that the game will possibly focus on riding various kinds of beasts (honestly, sometimes we give ourselves goosebumps). Check out the gallery for all the Beast Rider images. %Gallery-15436%
New Golden Axe: Beast Rider screens
Secret Level, famously known for working on the Xbox gem port of Final Fight: Streetwise, just dropped fresh screens of the upcoming title Golden Axe: Beast Rider. While these images look a little rough in spots, remember the game isn't hitting the Xbox 360 and PS3 until this summer. However, we're a little more perplexed by studio's love for the use of a colon in their titles. Past games include; Star Wars: Starfighter, America's Army: Rise of a Soldier and they are currently working on Iron Man: The Video Game. Come on: Seriously. Stop: It. See what you made us do?! Make it end!%Gallery-15398%
