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Ryse gets three maps in 'Duel of Fates' DLC
The third piece of DLC for Crytek's deliberately misspelled gladiatorial combat game, Ryse: Son of Rome, launched today. Titled Duel of Fates, the pack includes two arena round-to-round maps and one survival map, as well as two gladiator skins drawn from the game's single-player mode, the barbarian chief Glott and Marius Titus. The arena maps, Invictus and Barbarous, challenges players to control landmarks, defend Emperor Nero from attackers and set wicker men ablaze. The maps include underground areas that link stages together. In the Island survival map, players pick apart an endless wave of enemies while dodging a downpour of arrows. The add-on is free for Ryse season pass holders ($19.99, £15.99) on Xbox One, or can be downloaded separately for $8.99 (£4.79). [Image: Microsoft]
Peggle 2 Windy fairy DLC gives a flying flock
Peggle 2 received a new master via downloadable content today named Windy, a spritely fairy that brings with her a special "Fairy Flock" power. Windy transforms blue pegs in the game into the score-boosting purple pegs and "simple shots" into ones that are bound to earn players additional chances. The Windy's Master Pack DLC includes 10 new levels, 10 trials, three costumes, three achievements and 30 objectives, all for $1.99. PopCap launched the game on Xbox One in December, adding local multiplayer dueling in March. Xbox 360 owners will get a turn with Peggle 2 when it arrives on Microsoft's so-last-gen platform on May 7. [Image: EA Games]
Tackle 'Son of the Crawmerax' in final Borderlands 2 DLC
Developer Gearbox Software has released its final piece of Borderlands 2 DLC. Headhunter 5: Sir Hammerlock Versus the Son of the Crawmerax is available now via Steam, PlayStation Network and the Xbox Live Marketplace for $2.99. The content sends players to Wam Bam Island to partake in the largest Headhunter DLC mission released, according to a 2K blog post. "At the end of your adventure, you will battle a foe that may look familiar – Crawmerax Jr., the son of the great crab worm from The Secret Armory of General Knoxx add-on from the original Borderlands." The content now shelves the Borderlands sequel, giving developer Gearbox ample time to focus its efforts on the next installment of the game: Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. Successfully completing the Headhunter 5: Sir Hammerlock Versus the Son of the Crawmerax DLC (boy, that's a mouthful) will allow players to wear a shrunken version of the final enemy's head like a hat. If swanky travel duds are more of an incentive, each character will net a beach-themed skin as part of the content. Taking on Handsome Jack in an "Aloha shirt"? Say no more. [Image: Gearbox]
CoD: Ghosts DLC adds Snoop Dogg voice pack and other, less awesome, stuff
Infinity Ward is launching DLC for Call of Duty: Ghosts on Xbox platforms that will add narration to multiplayer matches by the one and only Snoop Dogg. As you terrorize the battlefield, Snoop becomes your own personal hype man, which sounds like just about the most amazing thing in the world. Want something a little gruffer? A voice pack featuring Full Metal Jacket drill instructor R. Lee Ermey is also in the works. Each DLC pack is priced at $2.99. IW is launching a number of new customization DLC packs for weaponry featured in Ghosts, as well. Continuing to show its friendliness towards all things 420, Ghosts players can purchase the puntastic Blunt Force Personalization Pack, which delivers "chronic lethality" camo, a reticle, patch, player card and background. The Blunt Force pack and other customization packages are available for $1.99. Finally, the latest set of DLC features player skins, one of which features past CoD heroes Soap and Ghost. According to the Call of Duty blog, customization DLC packages "are non-transferable and cannot be carried forward or backward" between last generation's console and the new Xbox One. All DLC will launch on April 22 for the Xbox 360 and Xbox One. [Image: Activision-Blizzard]
Battlefield 4: Naval Strike now available to non-Premium masses
It looks like the Megalodon has a whole new batch of victims incoming. After being released an exclusive for Premium members, Battlefield 4's Naval Strike DLC is now available for purchase for all. The content is available on PC, Xbox One, PS4, PS3 and Xbox 360. Naval Strike adds four new maps; a hovercraft vehicle; new Carrier Assault mode, which is inspired by Battlefield 2142's Titan Mode; and the aforementioned giant shark attack. Battlefield 4's Naval Strike DLC is priced at $15. [Images: DICE]
WWE 2K14, Amazing Spider-Man and DLC discounted on Xbox Live this week
This week's Xbox Live sales include two games and their associated DLC packs. Starting now through Tuesday, April 8, Xbox Live Gold subscribers can pick up WWE 2K14 for 25 percent off ($29.99 / £29.99 / 44.99 euros) and The Amazing Spider-Man at 66 percent off ($13.59 / £10.19 / 13.59 euros). Downloadable add-ons for WWE 2K14 are half-off this week as well, including the game's online pass ($4.99 / £3.99 / 4.99 euros) and season pass ($9.99 / £7.99 / 9.99 euros), the latter granting access to all of the game's DLC except for Undertaker's "American Badass" character and the Ultimate Warrior, each on sale for $0.99 / £0.64 / 0.94 euros. For The Amazing Spider-Man, each of the game's four DLC packs are 66 percent off, including the Stan Lee Adventure Pack ($1.35 / £0.91 / 1.28 euros) and the Oscorp Search and Destroy Pack ($1.01 / £0.67 / 0.96 euros). [Image: 2K Sports]
Defiance powers up weapons and enemies with Arktech Revolution
If you're playing Defiance, you could probably use a bit more gun. The designers certainly thought so. As often as not, higher-rated weapons just weren't worth upgrading to compared to your older weapons with lower ratings. But that's not true with the next major patch. Your EGO rating will be a lot more important than it was, and that means that higher-rating guns are going to become a lot more powerful and a lot more rewarding to use... which has some larger effects on the game as a whole. For starters, in order to compensate for bigger guns, there need to be larger enemies about that won't just dissolve into a red mist when you fire your gun. Players who still want to be able to get out and enjoy the world will also need some means of doing so, which is achieved by a dynamic scaling system which ensures that even lower-rated players can still take part in big stuff. For more details on the numbers and specifics, check out the latest development update at the official site.
Lightning Returns with Japanese voice overs and Moogle costume DLC
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13 received a few new pieces of downloadable content today, one of which is the previously-revealed Japanese voice pack. Announced in November 2013, the voice pack costs $3.99 (£3.19/3.99 euros) and adds lip-syncing adjustments to match the game's Japanese voice overs. Additionally, players can pick up three new sets of costumes and equipment, each set available for $3.99 (£3.19/3.99 euros). The three pieces of DLC – dubbed Ultimate Savior, Moogle Lover and Divine Wear – include a weapon, shield, adornment and garb. Players can buy all three in the premium collection pack for $9.99 (£7.99/9.99 euros), and can also pick up five new Lightning Returns themes on PS3 for $1.99 (£1.19/1.49 euros) and avatar items on Xbox 360 for $3.99 (£3.19/3.99 euros). [Image: Square Enix]
The Last of Us 'Left Behind' review: Memories and motivations
The Last of Us "Left Behind" DLC refers to important moments in the main game's story. As such, this review may contain SPOILERS for The Last of Us. "Left Behind," the first and only piece of narrative downloadable content for The Last of Us, has a strange task ahead of itself. It attempts to tell an impactful story with an ending every player is assuredly already aware of, reaching into the past to tell the story of Ellie and her best friend Riley. Despite the knowledge of Riley's fate – we learned of her death in The Last of Us – I still found myself becoming hopeful for her future, wishing something magical would happen, that I could avert the tragedy. No such luck.
Defiance previews the next DLC pack, Gunslinger Trials
Some of the early story threads from Defiance's launch haven't been addressed. The nature of the Biodyne Project and control of the Earth Republic are both questions with no answer, but that's all changing in March with the release of the game's next DLC pack, Gunslinger Trials. Players will explore three new quest lines involving members of Von Bach Industries, leading to events that see both the revival of Biodyne and a look at the power gaining strength behind the scenes of the Earth Republic. The DLC content isn't limited to story developments, though. Players will also be taking on new four-person challenges in which a group of hunters struggle to reach the end of a course, killing and progressing as quickly as possible. And raw damage isn't all that matters; teamwork and coordination will play a major role in clearing the end. Gunslinger Trials is planned for release in March, so get your trigger fingers ready if this sounds like your sort of fun.
Saints Row 4 adds Stone Age DLC on Steam
If you thought Volition couldn't dig deeper for a gag, you forgot about the bedrock. The Stone Age DLC pack has just launched for Saints Row 4, available now on Steam for $2.99. The pack features giant club and bone weapon costume, caveman outfits for male and female characters and a "Flintstone's like car." For those worried, Volition promises the DLC features "100% historically-accurate" content. Based on the pictures of said content, we're inclined to believe them. So, go forth my sex toy-swinging friends and have a gay old time with one of Joystiq's favorite games of 2013.
Yoshi's Island Zone is one of two Sonic: Lost World DLC stages, out now
Sonic: Lost World will receive two pieces of downloadable content on Wii U, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata announced during today's Nintendo Direct livestream. The DLC stages will be based on Nintendo properties, the first being a level pulling inspiration and elements from Yoshi's New Island, Nintendo's 3DS entry in the series due out in spring 2014. Called Yoshi's Island Zone, the first piece of DLC is available now for free, and has Sonic "speeding through areas filled with pipes, coins, Shy Guys and Piranha Plants." A brief look at the level can be found in the archived Nintendo Direct presentation.
Guide Captain Olimar through new Pikmin 3 DLC in December
Pikmin 3 will receive a new set of stages on December 2, Nintendo announced today during a Nintendo Direct livestream. Unlike previous pieces of downloadable content for the game, the third round of content will be entirely new stages as opposed to new spins on previously-released levels. The DLC will include four treasure stages and four battle stages with locales like a construction site and mystery factory. Some of the stages will allow players to control Captain Olimar, the main protagonist of Pikmin and Pikmin 2. The DLC will arrive along with a required update for the game, and will grant players free access to one collect treasure stage and one battle enemies stage for free in the Fortress of Festivity part of the game.
Final Soul Sacrifice update adds 16 new (and tough!) quests
The Marvelous AQL and Japan Studio-developed Vita-exclusive Soul Sacrifice has been given its final update, SCEA producer Kumi Yuasa revealed in a post on the PlayStation Blog. Update 1.30 adds "16 challenging new quests" to the game, for free. Unlike previous updates, unlock keys from the PlayStation Store are not required to enjoy the content. Yuasa says the game's final bonus quests are all at level ten difficulty. "You'll be tasked with facing challenging boss characters you may have come across before," Yuasa adds. Soul Sacrifice launched for the PlayStation Vita in North America on April 30. The Joystiq review noted that playing it could exact an "unexpected toll on your thoughts." Spooky!
BioShock Infinite Premium DLC now available separately on Steam
Steam has released the BioShock Infinite "Columbia's Finest" DLC as a separate download, available now for $4.99. This DLC was initially included with the Premium and Ultimate editions of the game at launch, and adds 500 Silver Eagles and 5 lockpicks to your stash, along with six exclusive gear items. You'll also get two weapon upgrades: Comstock's China Boom Shotgun, and Comstock's Eagle Eye Sniper Rifle. This content is not part of the season pass that Irrational Games announced back in February, which promises access to three separate pieces of downloadable content in the future.
Finally, those Maroon 5 songs you wanted are available in Rocksmith
Just in case the thing that prevented you from buying Rocksmith on Steam was the lack of Maroon 5 songs, we'll just remove that musical obstacle for you right here and now. Valve reports that "Misery," "She Will Be Loved," and "Harder to Breathe" have all been added to the game. You can buy each song for $2.99, or pick them all up together for $7.99. Once purchased, you can play through the songs with a standard electric or bass guitar, and each song also adds a new authentic tone to play with on the game's Amp mode. Sweet Maroon 5-style haircuts are, unfortunately, sold separately.
Black Ops 2 'Uprising' DLC adds new maps, 'zombie adventure' on April 16
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is about to deal with an uprising. The next DLC pack for the shooter – dubbed 'Uprising' if you didn't catch it – lands on April 16 on the Xbox 360 and includes five maps and one new "zombie adventure."New maps for the content pack include Magma, Encore, Vertigo, and Studio – all teased in the video above. "Uprising is the most fan-centric DLC package we've ever created," David Vonderhaar, game design director at Treyarch claims in the video.Adding to that fan service is "a reimagining of the classic map Firing Range," and a new "zombie adventure" called 'Mob of the Dead.' In the new zombie story, players are trapped in a zombie-infested Alcatraz as four prohibition-era mobsters, played by Hollywood badasses: Ray Liotta, Chazz Palminteri, Joey Pantoliano and Michael Madsen. In a "new twist" on the zombie mode, "if a player becomes an unfortunate victim, 'Mob of the Dead's' new feature known as 'Purgatory' sends players into the afterlife." No further details, beyond new challenges and a "unique experience," were revealed about the zombie mode's 'Purgatory' feature.PlayStation 3 and PC players should expect the standard one-month wait time for their shot at the content, due to the timed-exclusivity agreement between Microsoft and Activision.
Mass Effect 3's 'Citadel' DLC demonstrates the franchise's messy, wonderful soul
This is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity. One of the reasons that the Mass Effect series has been one of the most-discussed franchises of the generation is because the games are many different things to many different people. They're science-fiction epics. They're cover-based shooters. They're dating sims. They're long-term serialized stories. They're slowly wandering through cities in space, engaging in long conversations. They're tough battles against overwhelming odds. The core divide is between the self-serious saga of Shepard versus the Reapers that the franchise attempts to convey, and the entertaining – if slightly goofy – glorious mess that some perceive it to be. The final story-based expansion for the series, the recently-released 'Citadel' add-on, demonstrates how big that divide can be and then it bridges the gap.%Gallery-179472%
Gearbox reveals next Borderlands 2 DLC includes a new vault hunter [Update]
During a panel at SXSW, Borderlands 2 developer Gearbox has revealed a new vault hunter is coming to its RPG-fueled first-person shooter."Deep beneath Pandora, an experiment has escaped," a teaser for the DLC announced, revealing a silhouette of the new character decimating enemies. "Bandits beware, a new vault hunter is coming. More mayhem awaits."Details for the second add-on character were scarce, much like the Pandora wasteland; however, the teaser (which you can view above) leads us to believe the new character is melee-focused. Gearbox franchise director Matt Armstrong wouldn't reveal the exact release for the DLC during the panel but added, "DLC is announced on a very tight schedule, and I don't think you'll have to wait long until you see that character."Update: Gearbox has clarified to Joystiq that the upcoming DLC character is not included as part of the Borderlands 2 Season Pass. The story above has been edited.
Trion offering a Defiance season pass with DLC, new species, and more
Trion has posted details on a season pass for Defiance, its MMO-meets-a-TV-show project in conjunction with SyFy. The season pass will cost players $39.99 and enable access to the game's first five DLC packs, which will include a new playable alien species, along with lots of new weapons, vehicles, missions, and other rewards. Plus, pass buyers get two bonus items: a digital Hellbug combat cap, and an extra Lock Box (which is a sealed container in the game for a chance at another item).The $39.99 is in addition to the game's initial purchase price ($59.99, or $99.99 for the deluxe edition). Defiance won't have a subscription fee, and this price is 20 percent off what the DLC will cost in total.The Defiance game will be launched on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC on April 2, while the TV show will start on April 15.
