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Fracture: New trailer, like love, can move mountains
Lucasarts debuted the latest trailer for the upcoming action-shooter, Fracture, on GameTrailers early Saturday morning. Setting the stage for a war that takes place between a split United States, two factions face-off for dominance over the nation. The evil-doers, known as the Pacificans, have altered DNA to create a stronger, more dominant race while the Atlantic Alliance have put their effort into creating advanced cybernetics to thwart a Pacific attack. With an interesting concept and unique gameplay (terraform weapons look awesome!) can Fracture make a name for itself when it hits this October? Time will tell. Also, Pacificans? Really?
Fracture demo coming this Fall
It's been ages since we last heard about Fracture -- a terra-forming shooter -- so it's quite nice to hear anything on the title really. In fact, you could say the news has been quite fractured, or, if you want to put it in more delicate terms ... fraked. Anyway, enough of the fluff and on to the cold hard news; that is what you're here for, right? Speaking to CVG, LucasArts has communicated that a demo should appear on the PSN sometime in "August or September." The demo includes a tutorial stage and a level where "you can try out all the land-bending trickery," according to CVG. They of course refer to the terrain deformation system which lets players control the ground, and use it for strategic purposes. Since the demo comes out in a few months, and since we suspect news to be just as infrequent from here on out, expect radio silence until then.
Zero Punctuation boos F.E.A.R. expansion
Having traipsed through the corridors of Valve's American headquarters, Zero Punctuation's Yahtzee is notably unimpressed with the assignment greeting him upon his return. More creepy corridors, this time found in "uninformatively" titled F.E.A.R. expansion, Perseus Mandate. While he appreciates the infrequent mind-bending sequences (they're rather scares, you see), Yahtzee can't wrap his brain around the developer's constant recycling of environments and combat. As usual, hidden within the rapid-fire rants and elaborately constructed metaphors lies an astute observation -- how is this game supposed to be scary if your character's running around with a bloody bazooka? Check out the video after the break... and note the special threat message left for last week's Zero Punctuation imitator.
PGR4 and F.E.A.R. Files demos land on XBLM
Two new game demos hit the XBLM this morning, adding a little bit of speed and a little bit of fear to the Marketplace. The first demo comes from our pals over at Bizarre Creations and is the critically acclaimed Project Gotham Racing 4. Weighing in at a rather hefty 1.27GBs, the demo includes three racecars, two bikes and features an exclusive Nürburgring Snow Challenge and an exclusive Arcade event. Oh, and the PGR4 demo is available to all Xbox Live locales, w00t, w00t! F.E.A.R. Files: Extraction Point is the other new game demo and clocking in at 585MBs we presume it to be a single player mission-o-fun that F.E.A.R. fans the world around will enjoy. Funny thing is that the demo is only available to US and Canadian Xbox Live members ... so maybe the world around can't enjoy it. Both demos are available for the free on the XBLM right now, so get your download queue on and give 'em a whirl. Read - PGR4 demo Read - F.E.A.R. Files: Extraction Point demo
There is, apparently, more F.E.A.R. to be downloaded
OK, it's gotten out of hand. Defying any reasonable expectations that fans could have had, F.E.A.R. on 360 has just received its third downloadable content pack in less than six weeks -- and this one's free. Now available for your downloading pleasure are "Ecosphere," "Hotel" and "Sewers." We think it's great they're taking care of their community, honestly, any gamer would be lucky to get this kind of support. But is this starting to seem a bit ... desperate to anyone else? At what point does the seductress giving you come-hither glances from across the room become the weird aunt whose too-small bikini top keeps "accidentally" falling off?
F.E.A.R. the free Bonus Map Pack
Major Nelson sends word that this morning Monolith has released a free F.E.A.R. Bonus Map Pack downloadable off of the XBLM. This free Bonus Map Pack includes three additional multiplayer maps including the vegetation filled Ecosphere, close quarters battle Hotel and the dark and smelly atmosphere of Sewers. Again, the new multiplayer maps are a free download, so you have nothing to fear but the F.E.A.R. Bonus Map Pack itself (bah dum bah ch!).
F.E.A.R. gets new DLC yet again
We really dodged a bullet today with this new F.E.A.R. DLC pack, called Synchronicity. We were afraid we wouldn't have anything to say at all, there was just a new level pack on July 4 for crying out loud. Luckily for us, they priced the thing at 550 points. Yep, five-hundred ... and fifty. For those of you nervously pounding on your Texas Instruments, let us save you some time. It's $6.87 -- and a half cent. If you needed a reminder that the digital economy in still in its pupae state, this is it. Who played through three new CTF maps and two new Deathmatch/Control maps and was aghast that they would charge 500 points? "I insist, nay, demand you increase the price of this gaming product," the mysterious pricing manager might have shouted, as his monocle fell from his face. "You either raise the price sixty-two-and-one-half cents, or you may consider my resignation at this establishment tendered!" The plot thickens even more when you consider that the last map pack for F.E.A.R. was four maps for 500 points. It's further confirmation of what we all expected ... they're choosing these prices at random. Ah well, at least the spinning wheel isn't landing on $15 any more.
Download and F.E.A.R. the Synchronicity Pack
More F.E.A.R. content rolled out this morning and this time it's new multiplayer maps. For an unusually priced 550 Microsoft points you can get the F.E.A.R. Synchronicity Pack featuring five brand spanking new maps. The new maps include capture the flag/conquer all maps Dead Wood, Labs, and Depot and deathmatch/control maps Waterworks and Stockpile. So, taking into consideration the Nightmare Pack, you now have the option to download (purchase) nine new F.E.A.R. maps in total for 950 points. Fear the map pack purchases!
Even more F.E.A.R. coming this fall
F.E.A.R. is quickly moving up the ranks as the most confusing brand in the gaming world. It's astounding how four letters can turn us from suave, worldly gamers to the grandma who has a stroke trying to figure out why Intendo makes so many different Game Boys. First, of course, there was Not F.E.A.R. 2 (name subject to change) and now there's an announcement of new F.E.A.R. content coming this fall. The first is new PC expansion pack called F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate, which takes place during F.E.A.R. but with a different F.E.A.R. team, also, there are new enemies. Then we've got F.E.A.R. Files, for the Xbox 360. Now, don't confuse this with the recent downloadable content, no, this is something completely new entirely. Well, new in the sense that it's a combination of the Perseus Mandate expansion and another PC expansion called F.E.A.R. Extraction Point. Watch your back, Mega Man! It's only a matter of time before you get some poison in your ear and F.E.A.R. takes your "Most Diluted Brand" crown.
F.E.A.R. Nightmare pack on X.B.L.M.
After setting the foundation down with the free update that released last week, F.E.A.R. now has multiplayer maps available on Xbox Live Marketplace. The 4 maps cost only 500 Microsoft Points, which is a reasonable price for the content. CTF and Conquer All maps are Spill Kill and Heliport, while Cafeteria and Asylum will supply your fix for Control and straight up Deathmatch. Perhaps this will persuade us to actually break the seal on our still shrink wrapped copy of the game.
F.E.A.R. Nightmare Pack available, reasonable
When we read the name of the new downloadable "Nightmare" map pack for F.E.A.R., our snarky blogger sense went haywire. "Oh, this will be rich," we said in our heads as we planned our first line, which would have gone something like "The real nightmare is being asked to pay $10 for these things!" (lolz!) But then we saw the price: 500 points ($6.25) for four new maps. Which is annoyingly reasonable. "Well what the blood clot are we supposed to write!?" we shouted angrily, chucking our half-empty Diet Pepsi Max at our favorite kitten calendar. That's when we realized it: The names of the maps! We could include those and then hopefully make some sort of great zinger. So ... Heliport, Spill Kill, Asylum and Cafeteria. ... Nothing. OK. Well, F.E.A.R. packs are available. Go get them, or don't. We're going to go curl up with a pint of Chubby Hubby and a Nicholas Sparks book and figure out what we're even doing in this business.
F.E.A.R. D.L.C. for F.R.E.E. on X.B.L.M.
There's free new content available for F.E.A.R. on Xbox Live Marketplace. The Control and Conquer All Map Pack has two new gametypes, "Conquer All" and "Control". On top of the extra gametypes, there is also a title update that adds a few functionality features to the gameplay and Xbox Live experience. on the in game experience, blood splatter has been added to enemy uniforms after having been shot, as well as an option to fade the HUD so it only shows information when you need it, without cluttering your screen. Extra functionality has been added to Player Matches, allowing the host to invite friends into both private and public slots. There also were hints made towards new maps being available later this summer.
Joystiq takes a first look at Fracture
Just announced yesterday, LucasArts' new title, Fracture -- debuting next year -- has an interesting premise. In the future, terrain deformation will become an integral part of warfare. In Fracture, players will utilize a number of weapons that alter terrain in many different ways. Joystiq got a closer look at the game last night at a media event in San Francisco. Joystiq learned a few new details about the plot, including how terrain deformation came about and why the eastern and western halves of the United States are bent on each others' destruction. Of course, the meat and potatoes of the event were firsthand looks at the game's weapons. Joystiq notes that most of the terrain-affecting weapons are grenades, though there are some interesting guns as well (including a subterranean grenade launcher). Unfortunately, Joystiq also found out that the terrain weapons do not affect buildings and other structures, which makes the game seem more constricted than we had hoped. All in all, though, Fracture looks like it could be a very fun game.Hit the "read" link for Joystiq's full impressions.
Fracture to (literally) change 360 landscape
LucasArts, in cooperation with Day 1 Studios, has announced a new franchise for Xbox 360 and PS3. Entitled, Fracture, the game is based around the concept of destructible environments and land deformation. The game's plot is interesting to say the least. Fracture takes place in the 22nd century, after the polar ice caps have melted, causing the Mississippi River to flood and effectively cut the United States in half. In this new chaos, the eastern half of the U.S., known as the Atlantic Alliance, has opted to survive by employing cybernetic technology. The western half, now the Republic of Pacifica, modify themselves at the genetic level, effectively creating a race of mutants.The gameplay revolves around destructible environments and shaping the land to your advantage. Played from a 3rd person perspective, players use different weapons that can destroy or otherwise reshape the land. For example, you might throw a special grenade that creates a pit in the ground. On the other end of the spectrum, another grenade causes the ground to shoot upward, potentially giving you access to higher areas. See a video of Fracture after the break.
Just announced: Fracture by Lucasarts and Day 1 Studios!
Lucasarts just announced a brand new third-person shooter in collaboration with Day 1 Studios. Titled Fracture, the shooter is set in America in the year 2161, and is supposed to integrate highly destructive environments into its gameplay. The story involves an East vs West divide along the Mississippi, with mutants on one half and cybernetically enhanced humans on the other. Now, everybody knows that cyborgs and mutants hate each other, so of course, conflict is natural.As Joystiq points out, the whole 'destructive environments' thing is something we've heard many times before and it has never really been delivered. I loved the Red Faction series myself - but I always thought it was odd how the second one actually toned down the destructive environments. I liked taking down whole bridges with people on them. It was fun.
Destructible game, Fracture, announced for 2008
Fracture is the new collaboration between publisher, LucasArts, and developer Day 1 Studios. To be released in mid-2008 for the PS3 and 360, the third-person shooter will rely on destructible environments as a key component of the gameplay. We've heard that promise before, but like a bass noticing a Shad Rap, the game's potential is high enough for us to follow this lure to the boat.It's the year 2161, and the United States has been divided by its flooded Mississippi River. The East is full of cybernetically enhanced humans, while the West is populated with powerful mutants aided by genetic engineering. The freaks can't get along, and this premise -- which hopefully plays out better than it sounds -- incites a world war based in America. (We look forward to the "K" broadcasters finally settling their feud with the "W" stations.)[Update: Be sure to check out our impressions of the title as well.]%Gallery-2929%
F.E.A.R. PS3/360 comparison video
From what Factor 5's Julian Eggebrecht said, we should already know that the 360 version of F.E.A.R. will look superior to the PlayStation 3 because of how the two console's hardware is arranged (ports from PS3 to the 360 would actually be easier and look identical, supposedly). The video above may surprise you at just how similar the game looks on both consoles. The PS3 seems brighter, the 360 seems shinier, but overall it's the same game. Cool.
F.E.A.R. the PS3 vs 360 comparison
Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 graphics comparisons aren't anything new, but when a multiplatform game releases we figure we'll just keep dishing out the video goods. Showcased above is a graphical brawl between the 360 and PS3 versions of F.E.A.R. and even though the small embedded video isn't the perfect graphical representation, we have a difficult time telling the difference. Even after downloading the HD comparison video it's still hard to tell which version is graphically superior. Maybe it was just a good porting job from the PC version to both consoles, who knows, but to us they look the same. We'll leave it in your hands fellow fanboys, watch the video and start a mini fanboy war or just dismiss this comparison and call it a draw.
Seven PS3 titles delayed from Euro launch, 27 still left
We now have seven PlayStation 3 titles that will miss their original European release date alongside the console's launch. The dubious septuplet and their new release dates: Splinter Cell: Double Agent -- March 30 NBA 2k7 -- April 6 F.E.A.R. -- April 20 Oblivion -- April 27 Untold Legends -- April 27 GRAW 2 -- June 2007 Rainbow Six: Vegas -- Spring 2007 While more than a few of those are top-notch titles, Sony still has 27 launch titles -- 23 disc-based and four downloadable -- and at their disposal, including Virtua Fighter 5. Will the absence of these seven games affect the launch? No more than the price, and the delays aren't very far behind the March 23 launch. In three months, no one is going to care about the delays. The initial momentum lost, however, is debatable. [Via PS3 Fanboy]
Bringing It Home content, 9/25
Well folks, TGS is over, finished, kaput. As such, it seem only fitting that today's content is more oriented towards western audiences -- note also that there is no Japan exclusive content today. Here's the sweet sweet candy: Battlestations Midway trailer Eragon trailer Import Tuner Challenge trailer Need for Speed Carbon trailer The Darkness trailer Mass Effect Picture Pack (free!) Battlestar Galactica (United States) TGS Showfloor video 3 video F.E.A.R. demo We discussed the F.E.A.R. demo earlier: if you played the OXM demo, there's nothing new. With all this content, it may be time to start clearing out some of that old E3 stuff. Meanwhile, X06 inches ever closer. So, everybody make some room, download each and every one of these trailers, watch them, and then come back here and discuss them. Discuss them, I say!
