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Red Faction: Guerrilla multiplayer DLC hammers down Sept. 17 release [update]
The second of three planned DLC packs for Red Faction: Guerrilla will add more multiplayer mayhem on September 17 -- just over threeeee weeeks from now. The pack adds eight new maps and two new modes (listed after the break!), some of which are shown and discussed in the the video above.Volition is aiming to release the Multiplayer Pack for PS3 and Xbox 360 at $7 (560). Oh, and for those who've yet to play Guerrilla, we totally recall telling you to "get your ass to Mars."Update: THQ has ninja-switched the DLC date to Sept 17 from the 10. Don't believe us? The original date can still be heard in the video.
Saints Row hijacks Games on Demand
Major Nelson sends word that Saints Row is now available through the Games on Demand service on Xbox Live. An open-world title, similar to Grand Theft Auto, Saints Row garnered pretty good reviews when it was released way back in 2006. In North America, the Games on Demand version will run you $30. Unsurprisingly, the retail version can be ordered for much less online. Still, if you gots to have it and you gots to have it right now, it's there. Just calling your name. Add Saints Row to your Xbox 360 download queue [Thanks, Mike]
Next Red Faction: Guerrilla DLC to be multiplayer-focused
Okay, so Red Faction: Guerrilla is set to receive three different DLC injections. The first, Demons of the Badlands, drops tomorrow. Old hat, we know, but you may be interested in what Volition had to say about the other two packs during a recent chat with Loading Reality.Volition specifically named "Multiplayer and Wrecking Crew" as the focus of the next two DLC releases. Sadly, the studio would not divulge any other details concerning the upcoming content, like a timetable for release and price, but you can bet we're crossing our fingers for at least some more animal weaponry. [Thanks, Brandon T.]
UK: Win THQ's custom Red Faction Xbox 360
In order to promote the imminent release of the "Demons of the Badlands" DLC for Red Faction Guerrilla, THQ is giving away a sweet, custom painted Xbox 360. The contest itself is pretty simple: Visit the contest page (THQ membership required) and answer an easy question about where the DLC takes place (hint: Mariner Valley). Entries will be accepted until August 31. The only catch is that the contest is only open to residents of the UK, although the entry form, for some reason, still allows users to choose the United States as their location.So, we wish the best of luck to all of our UK readers. The rest of us will just have to stare at the pretty picture.[Via @SAGExSDX]
Red Faction patch out Aug. 6, brings long double XP weekend
Here we are, only a day after Volition detailed the upcoming patch for Red Faction: Guerrilla, and now we have an official release date for both the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, August 6. It should hit the 360 at around 4am PT, while the PS3 should receive the update in the afternoon (presumably alongside the weekly PSN update).One of the new features that the patch enables is the ability for Volition to allow double XP, and the dev is ready to kick the doors off with an extended double XP weekend. Starting tomorrow, once the patch releases, players can earn double XP until Sunday, August 9, midnight PT. With that much double XP, it'll be ostrichin' time before you know it.
Red Faction patch inbound, adds new mode, fixes
Volition has announced that a patch is on the way for Red Faction Guerrilla, which will add some new features and contain some tweaks to the game as well. The biggest of the additions is a new variant of Wrecking Crew called Challenge Mode. Wrecking Crew Challenge Mode, appropriately enough, challenges players with three consecutive levels, each with different weapon and backpack settings. The ultimate goal, as usual, is to rack up as high a score as possible. Additionally, all other Wrecking Crew modes will be available for single-player games.There are a number of other additions, like the ability to disable specific weapons and backpacks in custom games. Ore that hasn't been mined will also now show up on the mini-map, which is good news for Achievement / Trophy hunters. Finally, the patch will add support for the upcoming DLC, which is set to release next week. Head over to the official Red Faction site for the full patch notes.
THQ CEO gives Red Faction: Guerrilla launch a B; promises to do better next time
Though "pleased" on the game's sell-through, THQ CEO Brian Farrell told a conference call on Tuesday, "I'd give us a B on the launch of Red Faction: Guerrilla." So, with a strong quarter – mostly driven by sales of its UFC game but also owing in part to RF:G – what did Farrell think THQ could do better for "the next iteration"? (What? You didn't think that was it, did you?). Farrell said, "We've shipped more than one million units of this title to date" and reported that "the game was a top 10 best seller in the US and UK in June" but admitted that THQ could have done a better job "creating day one demand." "We moved the title a couple times, that doesn't help," Farrell confessed. "I'm very pleased with a lot of the strides we've made recently but that doesn't mean we can't do some things better." Sounds like a refreshingly honest assessment to us in the press and, we imagine, to the hundreds of thousands of gamers out there who picked up the game on incredibly strong word of mouth. Farrell acknowledges as much, saying, "The amount it's been dropping off, week after week, has been something that would indicate good word of mouth on the game based on the high Metacritic ratings." Sure enough, at "85" it ranks fifth for recent releases. To make up for those ostensibly not-as-good-as-they-could've-been day one sales, THQ is looking to "drive future sales of Red Faction: Guerrilla with continued advertising support and new downloadable content," Farrell said. " We hope Red Faction has a long tail on it as we move into the holiday season." Downloadable content – which THQ has used to great effect with Saint's Row 2 – is about more than just revenue, Farrell says. "When we look at DLC, the revenue, it's not that great. It's good, but we also like the fact that it keeps the customers engaged with our games for a long period of time." Of course, this reduces trade-in and used game sales, he explains, but it also helps "keep that brand active with consumers." Which is precisely what they'll have to do if they want to keep sales up in the increasingly spartan (and sans Spartans) but nevertheless competitive holiday shopping season.
Not a PC joke: Red Faction Guerrilla demolishing buildings in Sept.
This post isn't so much to let you know that Red Faction: Guerrilla is releasing on PC this September 11th (awkward, think about it) and 15th in Europe and the US, respectively. No, this little post is mostly to gush and let you know that if your PC can handle the requirements (min. 2GHz dual-core, 1GB RAM and 128MB 3D card with Shader Model 3.0 support), it's worth picking up.The team at Volition have crafted fine summer fun that's received some well-deserved plaudits. Sure, it's got some issues -- like that "normal" is actually really hard (play on "casual" to experience the fun this title has to offer). But, overall, if this is the type of quality we can expect from the "new THQ," we're all over it.%Gallery-19834%
Red Faction: Guerrilla getting three DLC packs, first coming August 13
If your revolutionary Martian escapades are drawing to a close, don't fret -- it looks like there's plenty more Red Faction: Guerrilla content coming out in the next few months. THQ just announced three new DLC packs for the game -- the first of which, titled Demons of the Badlands, will land on XBLM and the PlayStation Store on August 13.Badlands is an expansion to the game's single-player campaign which features a "mission arc that takes place in an entirely new Mars landscape outside of the existing expansive world." THQ has priced the DLC at 800 or $9.99. The developer has promised further details on the August-bound DLC and the two other upcoming expansions in the next few weeks, so keep your ear to the red, dusty ground.
A final Saints Row 2 moment with Gary Busey
Over the past few months, we've come to rely on Saints Row 2's bizarre, Gary Busey-centric advertising campaign as a source of humor and, more importantly, spiritual renewal. As a final farewell, Busey is promoting the free "UnKut" DLC from the game in a new video. Gary has used his laser-like vision to peer into your soul ... and his reaction to what he found there? Well, we don't think you're going to like it, let's just leave it at that. Oh well, the DLC is free, just how much persuasion do you need?
Free Saint's Row 2 DLC arrives, XBL version is Gold member exclusive
Those of you looking to bling out your Saint's Row 2 characters with a bevvy of fancy new accoutrement need wait no longer, as Volition just released "The Unkut Pack" of free DLC this week. Virtual ganstas are now able to choose from "62 unique customization options" with "The Unkut Pack," though those of you without Gold acounts on Xbox Live won't be able to participate without ponying up for an upgraded membership, as the DLC is Gold member exclusive. Peep the example gallery below for a few shots of the new duds, tats and "bigass chains," and check out the game's website for a full list of everything, if you're into that kind of thing. And revel in it, 'cause according to Volition, this is the "third and final DLC Pack for Saints Row 2." Saint's Row 3, anyone? %Gallery-65774%
Metareview: 'Red Faction: Guerrilla' avoids being 'birdf*cked!'
Sorry, we couldn't help but reference Volition's absolutely brilliant April Fools video in the headline. Anyway, the reviews for Red Faction: Guerrilla are fairly solid. The Mars liberation simulator is being recognized as good summer fun with plenty of explosions. Now, "get your ass to Mars." 1UP (A-): "Guerrilla isn't a terribly deep game, but as a "summer blockbuster," it works just right. It doesn't expect you to get lost in a deep, engaging sci-fi world -- you're on a mission to Mars to watch stuff explode. A deeper story might have made it more enjoyable in some respects, but it might also have killed the momentum of the demolition action." GamePro (5/5): "It's become a rare thing for me to actually stop playing a game to call one of my friends and gush about something amazing that happened, or how much they need to play it when it comes out, but I did this countless times while playing Guerrilla" GameInformer (90/100): "The single-player campaign is lengthy, and continually rewarding. Don't be surprised, however, if you shun this experience for multiplayer. ... No matter what mode you enter, Red Faction: Guerrilla delivers on its promise of destruction, and offers an experience unlike anything else out there." Giant Bomb (4/5): "While there are clunky bits at the fringes of Red Faction: Guerrilla that give it a handful of frustrating or disappointing moments, the core moments of the game are exciting and well-conceived." Edge (7/10): "Red Faction plays its hand early, letting you blow a building to pieces in the first few minutes of the game. Though the explosions scale with progress, and the act of detonation continues to be a giddy pleasure, Mars could do with a thicker atmosphere." %Gallery-19834%
Red Faction: Guerrilla trailer fights the power
The empowering lyrics and musical stylings of Chuck D and his Golem-like sidekick Flava Flav transcend space and time, as Red Faction: Guerrilla's Mars-inhabiting denizens literally employed Public Enemy's "Fight the Power" song to their advantage. Boosted by the song's strong message, these folks took to arms, battling the corrupt and oppressive EDF forces. It's your classic story of "Boy goes to Mars, boy runs for his life, boy finds courage to fight back and murders people with an ostrich," really.
Volition: Saints Row, Red Faction Wii games a 'possibility'
When playing Saints Row or Red Faction, did you ever wish you could smash up buildings or conduct drive-by shootings with a porn star while waggling a Wiimote? Even if you answered "no" to that question, developer Volition says it may one day be possible. During the Red Faction: Guerrilla launch event in New York City last night (held at the red planet-themed tourist trap/night club known as Mars 2112), we asked senior associate producer Jeff Carroll if the THQ-owned studio ever considered making Wii versions of their popular franchises. "Though [THQ] may do Wii versions of [our games] in the future, Volition won't be doing them -- at least for the next year or so," Carroll said. "We actually talked about whether we were going to become a partial Wii developer," he explained. "Then we talked it over with THQ and they had enough studios that were going to be Wii-specific. But we really wanted to focus on the technological advances [in console development], especially for Red Faction Guerrilla." When asked if these Wii titles were in the works, he replied that he didn't know but that they were "within the realm of possibility." The real question is: Will Gary Busey be involved? For insanity's sake, we hope so.
Saint's Row 2 'Corporate Warfare' DLC coming May 28
click to corporate-size In the world of Saint's Row 2, the Ultor Corporation isn't looking for a massive government bailout -- it has an internal "civil war" to deal with. "Corporate Warfare," the second DLC offering for THQ and Volition's open-world crime game, hits Thursday, May 28, bringing a new mission and multiplayer maps, more vehicles, expanded customization options and additional Achievements (for Xbox 360). Also: corporate warfare. Who'd have thunk? The pack will set purchasers back 560 ($7) for 360 and $7 in non- space-money for PS3. Check out the gallery below for a glimpse of what awaits down on the 'Row. %Gallery-63812%
Red Faction: Guerrilla getting multiplayer demo May 21
The recent single-player demo for Red Faction: Guerrilla has been downloaded more than a million times already. Still, assuming you're tired of swinging sledgehammers in a vacuum, Volition and THQ will release a multiplayer demo over Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Network on May 21.The demo will highlight the game's "Damage Control" mode, as players work to build and rebuild key structures on a pair of included maps, using an assortment of nine weapons and five backpacks. 15 unlockable experience levels will also be included -- useful with Red Faction: Guerrilla set to ship on June 2 and ostrich hunting season just around the corner.[Via Console Monster]
Saints Row 2 DLC delayed a week
We have good, bad and ugly news today. First: the bad news, and any Stilwater 2.0 regulars should pay close attention because their plans for a return trip may have to wait. According to the game's official blog, the first DLC package for Saints Row 2 has been pushed back a week to April 23.The good news is that gamers will also receive new character clothing with the DLC, which is already set to include new missions, pornstar assistance and the four maps shown in the gallery below. Oh, and the ugly news? Giant bunnies have been spotted near town and are poised for an attack. You should probably run for your lives.%Gallery-50160%[Thanks, TheDarkWayne]
PSA: Red Faction's Ostrich Hammer is real
click to enlarge (without hilarious speech bubble) Just a quick note: Remember the Ostrich Hammer that was revealed on April Fools' Day for Red Faction: Guerrilla? Yeah, well it's real. We asked Volition if the ornithoid tool would actually be featured in the game. At the time, we were told that the team was waiting to see what the community's reaction would be. It seemed feasible, given that the developers had gone to the trouble to actually model it in the game.It's more than feasible now, it's official. Volition has confirmed -- with new screenshots, no less -- that the Ostrich Hammer will be an unlockable in Red Faction: Guerrilla's multiplayer mode. On top of that, the devs are promising plenty of new info in the coming weeks regarding "more hammer unlocks, new modes" and changes made based on multiplayer beta feedback.We suggest you spend the interim researching what other animals would make the best hammers%Gallery-49055%.
(Not?) April Fools: Red Faction Guerrilla gains 'Ostrich Hammer'
Game developers aren't robots. If you cut them, they'll bleed. And so it went when the Sweeney Todds over at NeoGAF started teasing some early stills of Red Faction: Guerrilla. They cut and series developer Volition bled ... creativity! It all makes more sense after watching the video above. If you've ever shared our sentiment that today's multiplayer action games are heavy on metal (and/or energy-based) projectiles and short on bird-based bludgeoning, the Ostrich Hammer has been lovingly crafted with you in mind. Bon appétit!Update: When asked if the weapon would be unlockable in the final game, Volition's community manager told us, "We're just waiting to see what the community reaction is and we'll proceed from there." Well, what are you waiting for, community? React! %Gallery-49055%
Red Faction: Guerrilla to release June 9, demo on April 23
THQ has set a firm release date (on today of all days) for Volition's third-person reboot of the Red Faction franchise, Red Faction: Guerrilla. The game's demo will be available on April 23 to one and all, with those that pre-order from GameStop gaining access to said demo starting April 3. Red Faction: Guerrilla will release for the PC, Xbox 360, and PS3 on June 9.%Gallery-19834%
