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Obscure making PSP Go jump this fall
Despite its name, Playlogic is doing it best to ensure that its teen survival horror caper, Obscure: The Aftermath, is anything but hard to find. The publisher announced that in addition to the game's previously mentioned UMD release in September, the company will also release the Obscure sequel for download on the PSP Go this fall. A version for play on toaster ovens and other household appliances is also rumored to be in the works, though Playlogic representatives were not immediately available for comment.
Impressions: The Grinder (Wii)
The Grinder is the first of the two new Wii projects from High Voltage that were revealed just prior to E3, and we got to check it out at the company's booth. It's a game that takes the cheesy grindhouse pictures of old and converts them into an FPS experience. The result is a game full of frenetic monsters and tension.
Renegade Kid returning to the hospital in Dementium II
Developer Renegade Kid apparently stumbled across some leftover brown paint, and is currently working up a sequel to Dementium: The Ward. The game is set to continue the story of the first game, which had players stumbling through the darkened grimy halls of an abandoned hospital trying to discover a way out. Or at least some morphine to dull the pain.Notes Renegade Kid's Jools Watsham, "We were extremely satisfied with what we accomplished with the original Dementium, but knew we could do even more given the chance to develop a sequel." Little is known about the return trip into portable madness, though publisher SouthPeak promises even more hospital scares when Dementium II ships for the DS in the first part of 2010.
Bless yourself with a new Cursed Mountain trailer
If Cursed Mountain is trying to scare us, it's totally working. The latest trailer combines many of the things we fear most: older men holding newspapers; the snow-covered Himalayas; and odd boxes that may or may not hold some kind of deep, dark secret are just a few of the things we cower at on a regular basis. And that's only in the first 60 seconds of this two-minute look at the upcoming survival-horror Wii title! Now, if you'll excuse us, we have to go burn our copy of Cliffhanger. You know, just to be sure.[Via CVG]%Gallery-35618%
Obscure: The Aftermath coming to PSP
Horror is difficult to get across on a portable. After all, if things get too unnerving, you simply toss the system aside and breathe easy. That said, Playlogic is the latest to try its hand at fright on the go, announcing plans to again port Obscure: The Aftermath to yet another platform -- the PSP.Set to ship in North America this September, the sequel to 2005's Obscure looks to offer much of the same B-movie shock value as it has on other platforms, just on a smaller screen. Still, our previous time with the teen horror romp was more annoying than scary, and we doubt being able to play it while waiting for the bus will be enough to make our hair stand on end.[Thanks, David]
Dead Space Extraction 'glow worms' offer unlimited light, arm cramps
Ammunition is not the only scarcity in Dead Space Extraction. In fact, flashlights seem even more difficult to come by, as miners on Aegis 7 are left to keep their wits about them basked in the comforting greenish hue of a "glow worm." The game's equivalent of glow sticks, glow worms offer an unlimited source of light that must be recharged by shaking the Wii remote. As mentioned following our recent time with the game, the mechanic, which is described in greater detail on EA's Dead Space blog, certainly ups the scare factor. Still, we can't help but wonder if -- after 10 or so hours of vigorous shaking -- these glow worms will leave us clutching our arms, reeling from a wholly different kind of strategic dismemberment.
Play Left 4 Dead 4 free this 'Freaky Free Friday' on Steam
Have you been abstaining from zombie slaying until the cost of entry dropped to the low-low price of free? If so, you're in luck. Valve is making Left 4 Dead available to all Steam users for free this "Freaky Free Friday" with a 24-hour trial version available at 12:01AM GMT. However, you can download and preload the game and the free Survival Pack DLC right now to get ready for a day with the undead.We suggest calling in sick to work, ditching school and skipping Aunt Mabel's funeral (she might be a zombie herself, after all) if you haven't been a part of this game yet. Just don't blame us when you yearn for more undead cleansing the next day and end up (*gulp*) spending money! %Gallery-22771%
Fatal Frame IV unlikely to scare up American release
Since first whispered eerily in our ears, we've been eager to have our pants scared off by the Tecmo/Grasshopper Manufacture collaboration, Fatal Frame IV. Now it seems like our slacks will be staying firmly buttoned. While Nintendo published the Wii-exclusive in Japan, the company has no intention of making a repeat performance stateside with Nintendo boss Reggie Fils-Aime telling MTV, "We are not the publisher of that title in the Americas." A Tecmo spokesperson put the lens cap on the scary sequel, telling IGN that Nintendo of America still holds the publishing rights, and its decision to not release the game means "the title will not be released in this territory." Read Tecmo's official statement: "As the owner of the IP, Tecmo feels very unfortunate that the fans of the series in North America will not have a chance to play the game, but respects the final decision made by Nintendo of America." If you could take a picture of our faces right now you'd see our jaws on the floor at bearing witness to Nintendo's own unique brand of horror. Source: Fatal Frame Never Coming to America? Source: Reggie Talks Wii: Not Paying For Exclusives, Avoiding The Japan Wii Slump
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories also heads to PS2, PSP
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories was unveiled for Wii last week by Nintendo Power, but it seems it won't be exclusive to Nintendo systems. This "re-imagining" of the original Silent Hill will also be going to PS2 and PSP, and as today's press release details, all three versions will be out sometime in Autumn this year.Gamers who played the original will have their memories slightly shattered upon picking up this new version -- characters won't be found in the same spots and new clues, dialogue and gameplay paths will serve to jumble things up. Another major change is the new "psyche profile," which monitors the player's reactions. Based on these reactions, alterations are made to the game's "visual elements" and the protagonist's actions as he encounters other people and creatures. The psyche profile system sounds interesting, but a bit difficult to fully grasp without seeing in action. Perhaps future gameplay videos will provide better insight into this new feature.
Resident Evil 5 maintains UK sales chart lead
Capcom's Resident Evil 5 has been performing well in the UK (and all over the world). Ever since its release earlier this month, it's been selling like crazy. Well, the streak continues, as the game is once again top dog of the UK software world, beating out Wii Fit for top honors during the week ending March 28. With nothing much on the release calendar for the immediate future, we're willing to bet that another post like this will find its way onto our site next week.
Resident Evil 5 gets new Trophies in v1.02 patch
Resident Evil 5 was updated last night with a v1.02 patch. Taking a quick look at RE5's Trophy list, we've noticed that ten new Trophies, the ones linked to the upcoming DLC, have been added. The new multiplayer DLC isn't out yet and we're wondering if this new revelation means we'll be seeing it very soon -- perhaps as early as next week. But don't get your hopes up; Japan is the only region that has a specific release date and that's been delayed to April 9.Other than the new Trophies, there weren't any other noticeable changes to the game. We've contacted Capcom for full patch notes and will update as soon (and if) we get them.
SXSW 2009: EA Dead Space - A Deep Media Case Study
One of SXSW's panels that showed off the effects of Panelitis Fakeoutitis (where a panel sounds much better on paper than it actually is) was "EA Dead Space: A Deep Case Media Study," which sounded like it would be a dissection of the game and what went into creating it.A closer reading of the synopsis noted that it was all about "the method and the madness behind Electronic Arts' use of cross-platform marketing." Wait? What? Marketing?! Well, we went anyhow, and you can check out the highlights beyond the break.
Resident Evil Darkside Chronicles, Wii ports of RE0 and REmake all shambling to North America
Click to embiggen.This is thriller -- thriller morning! First revealed via Famitsu scans, Capcom has officially confirmed the existence of the new Wii Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles -- and confirmed a North American release at the same time! The Darkside Chronicles is based on the Resident Evil 2 timeline and stars Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield in an Umbrella Chronicles-style rail shooter with "a more in-depth co-op experience" and a new "Evade system." The Cavia-developed shooter is expected this winter.In addition, Capcom is localizing the Wii ports of Resident Evil Zero (which Capcom's US branch previously declined at least twice) and the Resident Evil remake (which, as a port of a remake, is basically a zombie itself now) as a new "Resident Evil Classics" line for release this year. Both games feature new Wii Remote controls and will sell at a $29.99 price point, just like Nintendo's own ported Gamecube games!Update: Check Famitsu for a trailer!%Gallery-47570%
Rumorang: BBFC rates 'Silent Hill'
We hope Konami may soon be ready to scare some truth out of earlier rumors of a Silent Hill remake for the Wii and PSP. The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) recently posted a '15' rating for Silent Hill, with a listing that contains an interesting breakdown of scenes from the game with titles like "ANKH ROOM" and "CYBIL'S DEATH." Last month's rumor laid dev duties at the feet of Silent Hill: Origins creator Climax, though Konami has yet to make anything official. We're trying to reach either Konami or Climax for comment ... but the lines are cut, and there's an unsettling noise coming from behind the door.Of course, this could just as well be a PSN re-release. And yes, we'll take one of those too.[Via Kotaku]
EA sees success in Dead Space and Mirror's Edge ... after a 'lifetime performance'
EA's European Senior VP Patrick Söderlund has expressed optimism about the long-term success of new IPs Dead Space and Mirror's Edge in a conversation with Gamasutra. "If you analyze games like Dead Space and Mirror's Edge for their lifetime performance, I bet you'll find them to be seen as successful," said Söderlund, communicating a commitment to both franchises. Söderlund went on to echo Glen Schofield's remarks regarding the not-too-brilliant plan of releasing both titles during the extremely competitive holiday season, admitting that EA could have "done a better job" scheduling its release calendar. Still, EA seems determined to forge ahead with both franchises in tow. We have a hunch gamers will support that decision -- so long as Dead Space doesn't turn into this and Mirror's Edge into that.[Via guardian.co.uk]
Red Resident Evil 5 Xbox 360 bundle: it's real!
The Resident Evil 5 Xbox 360 bundle is totally a real thing that people will be able to buy! We kind of assumed that the bundle, containing a red system and a copy of the game, wasn't just some rumor, but now we have confirmation that is about as official as anything can be: an Xbox 360 told us! Check your spotlight -- it should be the second-to-last card.The bundle features, of course, a red system and wireless controller, as well as a copy of the game (which stars Chris Redfield!) It also includes a black, wired headset, a 120GB hard drive, an exclusive Resident Evil premium theme, and Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix! All this for -- oh, we don't know how much, actually, nor do we know when it'll be available. Toys R Us listed $399 for the price, and we're inclined to believe it.Update: Now it's even more official...er! Major Nelson has confirmed that the Resident Evil 5 bundle will retail for $399 and posted some high-res photos for your analysis.%Gallery-45781%
Branching Dialogue: Don't shoot, or I'll move! (A Resident Evil 5 defense)
Presenting Branching Dialogue, a weekly, wordy and often worryingly pedantic discussion of video game genres, trends and err ... stuff I didn't think to put in this introductory line. var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/In_defense_of_Resident_Evil_5_s_controls'; Somebody in Capcom's offices has a mountain of undeserved hate mail in his inbox. If the frequency and causticity of online discussion is anything to go by, Resident Evil 5's Controls Guy (technical term) has surely become the target of office vandalism, or at least a wall full of passive aggressive post-it notes. In case you hadn't heard: Implausibly beefy protagonist Chris Redfield can't move and shoot at the same time. Nice going, incompetent Controls Guy! Ignoring this minor incongruity with the survival-horror's commitment to plausibility and sturdy logic, I think a lot of the discussion has merit, especially in a genre which has done much to modernize itself in the last year. There is one sticking point in this move-and-mow-down debate, however: Poor Controls Guy has nothing to do with it. Leave him alone!
A violent look at Resident Evil's survival horror past
Using a laser sight we point you in the direction of GameTrailers' educational retrospective series that pulls back the eyelids of the Resident Evil franchise. Part one of the (alleged) six part zombie-retrospective, "Horror Stories", takes a stroll through Resident Evil's history, how it pioneered the survival horror genre and how laughably bad the voice acting was.Putting aside all discussion regarding the direction Resident Evil 5 has taken with its control mechanics, the video will evoke deep rooted nostalgic feelings and renew your phobia of human-sized arachnids. It did for us. Once comfortable -- and with an ample supply of herbs by your side -- find the 17+ minute video after the break.
Get an early taste of what Dead Space Wii could be
With yesterday's announcement that EA's very creepy, very good Dead Space would eventually make its way onto Wii, it seems the community has been left with nothing but questions. Well, we can't answer any of those questions right now, but we can present to you the next best thing: a video of someone playing the game with a Wiimote. Head past the break to check it out.
PSA: Resident Evil 5 demo now on PSN worldwide
Keeping to the promise of being exactly one week late, Capcom's playable demo for Resident Evil 5 has finally hit the PlayStation Store worldwide. While touted as being identical to the one we've seen hit Xbox Live, it's slightly bothersome to note that the PS3 version eats up double the amount of hard drive space. That's 942MB to be exact. Regardless of footprint disparities, the demo finally allows North American and European PS3 owners to try out RE5's online and offline split-screen co-op gameplay. However, those who disdain pairing up with another person can still get their shrill kicks playing solo.
