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The Firing Line: Blacklight: Retribution open beta impressions
So I spent a little time with Perfect World Entertainment's new multiplayer shooter this week. Buh-what? Yeah, it is strange to think that the company responsible for Rusty Hearts, Ether Saga Odyssey, and about 20 million other free-to-play MMOs has finally jumped onto the FPS bandwagon. While PWE is publishing Blacklight: Retribution, though, design and development of the spiffy sci-fi action title comes courtesy of Zombie Studios.
Rating: Blacklight dev making Frogger Hyper Arcade Edition
Frogger: Hyper Arcade Edition is in development for multiple platforms, a rating from the Australian classification board reveals, but that's not the news here. Frogger: Hyper Arcade Edition is being developed by Zombie Studios, the team behind the heavily homicidal, shoot-em-up, bullet-frenzied Blacklight franchise. Original creator Konami is set to publish the new title, and it received the lowest rating of "General" from the Australian ratings board.Unfortunately the rating immediately dismisses all of our dreams of a first-person, shotgun-wielding Frogger who doesn't try to avoid the cars in the road -- he just exterminates them. Whatever comes of this strange union, it's sure to display a side we haven't seen from someone.
Blacklight: Retribution moves to open beta on February 27
Zombie Studios' free-to-play sequel to Blacklight, called Blacklight: Retribution, has gotten itself an open beta date, which means that the game will essentially be ready to party. Feburary 27 is the date in question -- that's the point when the closed beta (which started up last year) will end, player information will be wiped, and the game will start anew for good.Additionally, the open beta will bring new content with three new maps and custom Heroes to play with, and the Data Node system (which allows users to upgrade and specialize certain pieces of gear) will go live. If you weren't able to get in on any of our many beta keys for the game, then mark your calendar for February 27.
Get your Blacklight Retribution beta key!
You know the classic scene in A Christmas Story when Flick gets his tongue frozen to a flagpole? Sure, we all do. But many (including some top film historians) are unaware that Flick performs the stunt on the promise that he'll be rewarded with entry into the PC Blacklight Retribution closed beta. It's true! You remember when the Grinch stole all the gifts from Whoville? New research shows that the only one he was really trying to nab was a Blacklight Retribution beta invite, the rest were just a smokescreen. Oh, and had he not arrived so late as to not be included in the Christian Bible, you'd know that the fourth king from the East brought unto the baby Jesus ... OK, so we're making this one up, but you get the idea. Here's the great news: You PC owners don't have to steal from a village of diminutive pure-hearts or lick anything to start playing the Blacklight Retribution beta. Just claim your code and redeem it here!
Blackwater is Zombie's latest shooter, your choice of Kinect or controller
Blacklight: Tango Down and Blacklight: Retribution developer Zombie Studios continues its series of shooters with the word "black" in the title with Blackwater, a First Person eXperience (no, really ... that's what it says) shipping for Kinect this fall. Named after the controversial private security company, Blackwater gives players the option of ditching the controller in favor of a hands-free experience. The game was developed "in conjunction with former members of the Blackwater team" to make sure all the moves and gestures are authentic. If using a controller feels more authentic to you (hey, Joystiq reader!) then you'll be glad to learn that the game is "also playable with a standard controller." We'll track it down at E3 this week to get our hands (and not hands) on it.
Zork Nemesis adds some FMV to GOG
Have you always wanted to try your hand at an entry in the Zork franchise, but possess a deep-seated fear of lengthy reading sessions? Don't fret -- the latest addition to the GOG line-up, Zork Nemesis: The Forbidden Lands, is more pre-occupied with Myst III-esque visuals and full motion video cutscenes than drowning the player in deluges of monochromatic text. Though, we'd understand if there were people who are also deathly afraid of FMV, too. (Night Trap still gives us the heebie-jeebies.) Zork Nemesis: The Forbidden Lands is available on GOG.com for $6 -- which seems like a reasonable price to find out why those lands are so darn forbidden.
Blacklight sequel going free-to-play
The sequel to Blacklight: Tango Down is going to lower the price in addition to the, uh, tango. Zombie Studios CEO Mark Long told Big Download that the sequel to the downloadable FPS, called just "Blacklight" for now, will be released under a free-to-play model, instead of the traditional one-time purchase fee attached to the original. "The full game will be free along with premium content that can be purchased in-game," Long said. "Blacklight will feature a large number of improvements based on the player feedback we've gotten. And we hope going free-to-play will close that loop so we can respond even faster to player preferences." And hopefully give Zombie more resources (read: money) with which to implement those responses, no doubt. The new game will use Unreal Engine 3, but won't use any assets from its predecessor. New weapons, new levels, and new "mech" vehicles will be featured -- the latter of which can be seen in the single released screenshot, above. Since it looks totally awesome, we're guessing that's going to be a microtransaction-based item.
PSN Blacklight: Tango Down to include exclusive map
Click to enlarge Ignition has revealed that one of the "exclusive" features of the PSN version of Blacklight: Tango Down will be a new map. Dubbed Crossover, the battleground sees the Order -- a.k.a. "the bad guys" -- hijacking a train and loading it with explosives. Conversely, Blacklight (the good guys) must sabotage the tracks in order to save the train -- and, hopefully, avoid derailing it into a massive kablooey! The PSN version of Blacklight will also include a new, previously announced "Join in Progress" feature.
Blacklight: Tango Down advances to PSN on Oct. 26
Blacklight: Tango Down 2 may already be in production and on schedule for next summer, but Zombie Studios isn't letting go of its promise to bring Blacklight: Tango Down to PlayStation 3 owners across the globe. Publisher UTV Ignition has announced an October 26 release date for the download-only FPS in North America, followed by a November 3 release on the European PSN. In the announcement, UTV says the game will come with "PSN-exclusive content," including a "join-in-progress" option for multiplayer -- the publisher teases more info on the exclusive content will be revealed "shortly." Like it's Xbox 360 and PC counterparts, the PS3 version of Blacklight will be priced at $15 (£10/€13) when it arrives on PSN.
Blacklight Tango Down patched up
Zombie Studios has been tinkering with its online-only shooter Blacklight: Tango Down, releasing a new patch today for Xbox and PC that's rife with fixes. If you wanted more time to let players join your match, or if you wanted to switch the crouch and melee buttons, you're going to love this.
Get uncomfortable with Saw 2 release date and new art
When Konami suggested a Halloween release for Saw 2: Flesh & Blood at E3, it apparently meant Halloween-ish. Uncertainty is part of setting a devious trap, after all. The publisher today announced the October 19 release date of the game, "just in time for the release of Saw VII 3D, the seventh installment of the popular horror franchise from Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures." Along with the date, Konami has sent out some new Saw 2 concept art. "Just the silhouette of the character in the trap had to make the viewer uncomfortable," producer John Williamson explains. "You had to know instantly that something bad was going to happen to this person if you didn't get them out." If you're thinking, "Why on Earth would I want to be uncomfortable," you aren't the target market for this game. %Gallery-100164%
Blacklight: Tango Down 2 in development, Zombie Studios confirms
Zombie Studios' Blacklight: Tango Down has been released for PC today (via Games For Windows - Live currently and soon to be on Steam and Impulse). It debuted on Xbox Live Arcade just last week and has yet to reach PSN -- though it's expected "in the coming weeks." Zombie is already working on the sequel, though. Confirmed by our sister site Big Download, Zombie CEO Mark Long said his studio is aiming for a summer 2011 release for Blacklight: Tango Down 2 (working title). The sequel will feature larger maps than those included in the first game and implement mech-like vehicles into the gameplay. Long also confirmed that there are currently no plans to offer DLC for the first Blacklight: Tango Down beyond patches to fix any persistent bugs.
This Wednesday: Monkey Island 2, Blacklight tango on XBLA
Newly remasted, LucasArts' Monkey Island 2 Special Edition: LeChuck's Revenge has charted a course for Xbox Live Arcade, where it will arrive alongside Blacklight: Tango Down tomorrow, July 7. LeChuck's Revenge plan hasn't deviated since it was finalized a week ago, but the scheduled Blacklight drop zone was called into question last week when the game's publisher, Ignition Entertainment, could not confirm the date. Today, Ignition formally announced the multiplayer shooter's deployment on XBLA for tomorrow, adding that the PSN and PC versions will arrive in "the coming weeks." BlackLight: Tango Down will be available for 1200 Microsoft Points ($15). Monkey Island 2 Special Edition: LeChuck's Revenge can be had for 800 MSP ($10).
Blacklight: Tango Down goes up July 7 [update]
If Guybrush's hunt for the Big Whoop leaves you wanting something more visceral, you'll be glad to hear he won't be alone on Wednesday, July 7: The punny pirate will arrive alongside Zombie Studios' Blacklight: Tango Down (1200 MSP / $15) on XBLA, says Microsoft. We wouldn't be surprised to see Zombie's multiplayer shooter on PC and PSN that week, as well. Update: Blacklight has been removed from the press release (see source), and Microsoft's previously published release date for the XBLA title is now in question. A spokesperson for Ignition Entertainment, the game's publisher, told Shacknews that Blacklight has "not received a release date." We've reached out to Ignition and Microsoft for further clarification. Update 2: A representative for Ignition tells us, "There's still no confirmed release date for Blacklight. We saw all the posts saying it's the 7th ... but we really don't know if that will be the date. We should know later this week when the official launch will be. Officially, we are saying 'summer' until further notice." Update 3 [7/6/10]: Ignition has confirmed Blacklight's July 7 release on XBLA. The PSN and PC versions will follow "in the coming weeks." %Gallery-86900%
It's a trap: 'Saw 2: Flesh and Blood' coming Halloween
We didn't exactly see a Saw sequel coming, but now that it's here, it has a release date of Halloween. The game will feature brutal violence -- like a nurse selling illegal pharmaceuticals being ripped in half. Yes, that will happen. The main character is also the first Saw character's son, hence the "Flesh and Blood" subtitle. Prepare for developer Zombie Studios' sequel later this year. %Gallery-90101%
Hands-on: Blacklight: Tango Down
Over the last several years, Zombie Studios has devoted a lot of its resources to the so-called "serious" games business, including training products for the US Army. With its latest project, Blacklight: Tango Down, Zombie is breaking out of this serious mindset without straying too far from the military theme. Blacklight sounds great on paper: a hefty downloadable multiplayer shooter, with 12 maps and 7 game types, set in near-future Eastern Europe and inspired by Blade Runner with a focus on customization. "Over two trillion weapon and armor combinations," quipped a representative during a recent preview of the game's co-op mode, which was held at publisher Ignition Entertainment's Calif. offices. In practice, however, I found that Blacklight -- at least, in its currently unfinished state -- didn't come together to be a very entertaining experience. What did impress me, though, was the deep weapon and armor combination system. %Gallery-86900%
Blacklight: Tango Down to feature 4-player co-op
The feature war between this year's upcoming downloadable shooters is growing intense, with more and more bullets finding their way onto the list in every fact sheet. Blacklight: Tango Down, developed by Zombie Studios, now touts four-player co-op missions, in addition to its player customization, experience-driven progression system and competitive multiplayer modes. The "Black Ops" co-op missions will challenge you and three other e-soldiers to best an enemy faction that has overrun the streets of Balik. As a reminder, we'll note that the streets of Balik are "both futuristically alien as well as hauntingly familiar." They're the urban equivalent of an Ed Wood flying saucer, and that has to count for something. Blacklight: Tango Down will land on Xbox Live, PlayStation Network and PC this summer for an expected price of $15. %Gallery-86900%
Betcha didn't see Saw 2 coming
We admit that a sequel to Konami's Saw video game wasn't exactly something we ... saw coming. But it's happening, and it's being developed by Zombie Studios, the same outfit that made the first game. The sequel is due out this Halloween and is set between the first two (of what, 15 by now?) Saw flicks. Zombie's promising a revamped combat system -- that and even ickier deathtraps. You'll see the very first of these in the Saw 2 video above. Just click it and it'll play; no self-surgery required. %Gallery-90101%
Blacklight: Tango Down coming to PSN, XBLA and PC this summer
Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network haven't traditionally been the most familiar territories for new first-person shooters, but titles like Serious Sam HD and Battlefield 1943 have started carving out a respectable niche. Ignition has decided to join the fray, announcing that Blacklight: Tango Down is set to arrive on XBLA, PSN and PC this summer. Details are hard to come by on the Zombie Studios title (first revealed nearly a year ago), but we know it's a "military action" franchise that prides itself on its weapon and character customization. Zombie describes the near-future world of Blacklight as "disturbingly detailed," with "old-world architecture dripping with modern sci-fi lighting and brightly lit advertisements." And just a crazy number of Grateful Dead posters. %Gallery-86900%
Metareview: Rogue Warrior (PS3, Xbox 360)
Richard "Demo Dick" Marcinko's first appearance in a game as Bethesda's Rogue Warrior doesn't seem to have left a fantastic taste in the mouths of many critics. Aside from the overabundance of profanity, complaints range from "generic" to "last-gen." It probably doesn't help that the game's being released during an ... ahem ... less than favorable part of the year. We wish you the best, Demo Dick! We hardly knew ye! MSXbox-World (4/10): "The reality is that there's little challenge as most of the stealth elements are as scripted as they come ... There's an almost last-gen feel to the game, with one embassy snow level being reminiscent of a level in Hitman." Gamervision (3.5/10): "There are only a few locations in the story, and they all look and play essentially the same. In fact, it feels as though they could have been presented in any order without losing much storytelling ... The only thing that is even remotely memorably is the voice of the protagonist, Mickey Rourke. He's constantly throwing out quips and one-liners in his grizzly, gritty voice, but even this seems forced." HellBored (2.1/10): "There is absolutely nothing about Rogue Warrior that deserves any attention ... Combine paltry numbers of enemies, small levels, and an absurdly easy approach and you can run through the entire thing in ... four hours." GamePro (1.5/5 Stars): "It's at best a generic FPS, and at worst a nigh-unplayable mess ... The game's dark, murky textures and limited visibility make aiming a chore, and prominent clipping, slowdown and texture popping only serve to further hinder the adrenaline-fueled covert-ops experience Rogue Warrior tries so hard to recreate" %Gallery-51192%
