Tech-Gaming Technology, Gaming, and Culture
Beyond the persistence of cutthroat competition between two longtime footie rivals, Pro Evolution Soccer and FIFA, this week’s roster of new releases has a few other remarkable elements. While PlayStation 2 and Wii releases have been dormant for a long time, this week FIFA 14 reinvigorates both platforms. Perhaps if this trend continues well see releases spread across three console generations. Also of note to potential purchasers of Pac-Man Championship Edition DX+, if you own the vanilla version of Pac-Man Championship Edition DX, the update to the plus version is purportedly arriving via a free patch, adding improved leaderboards, achievements and medals.
PlayStation 2
FIFA 14
PlayStation 3
Armored Core: Verdict Day
Call of Duty: Black Ops II – Apocalypse (PSN, DLC, $14.99)
FIFA 14
Lone Survivor: The Director’s Cut (PSN, $12.99, Cross-Buy with PS Vita version)
Pac-Man Championship Edition DX+ (PSN, $9.99)
Pro Evolution Soccer 2014
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows
The Mark of Kri (PSN, PS2 Classics, $9.99)
Tokobot Plus: Mysteries of the Karakuri (PSN, PS2 Classics, $9.99)
Xbox 360
Armored Core: Verdict Day
FIFA 14
Pac-Man Championship Edition DX+ (XBL, $9.99)
Pro Evolution Soccer 2014
Wii
FIFA 14
Wii U
Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure
Super Mario Bros. (Virtual Console, $4.99)
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD
3DS
AiRace Speed (eShop, $4.99)
FIFA 14
Hakuoki: Memories of the Shinsengumi (eShop, $34.99)
Mahjong 3D – Essentials (eShop, $2.99)
Rage of the Gladiator (eShop, $6.99)
Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure
Shifting World (eShop, $29.99)
Solomon’s Key (Virtual Console, $4.99)
Star Wars Pinball (eShop, $6.99)
DS
Tales to Enjoy! The Ugly Duckling (DSiWare, $1.99)
PS Vita
FIFA 14
Lone Survivor: The Director’s Cut (PSN, $12.99, Cross-Buy with PS3 version)
PC
Alien Rage – Unlimited ($19.99)
Call of Duty: Black Ops II – Apocalypse (DLC, $14.99)
Day One: Garry’s Incident ($19.99)
Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams – Rise of the Owlverlord (DLC, $4.99)
Pac-Man Championship Edition DX+ ($9.99)
Rise of Venice ($39.99)
Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure ($39.99)
Shadow Warrior ($39.99)
Takedown: Red Sabre ($14.99)
Robert’s Pick: Save for the Arma franchise, first-person military sims have been dumbed down over the last decade. This week, Christian Allen (no relation) and the team at Serellan stuff a tactical boot in my mouth with the release of Takedown: Red Sabre. Financed via a fruitful Kickstarter campaign, Red Sabre brings the tension and tactics back into the shooter, recalling an era when a sound battle strategy and systematic execution was the route to success. Fans of the early Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon titles should definitely scope out Takedown.
Say’s Pick: I was about to drink the Kool-Aid Robert was sipping (editor: guzzling) with TakeDown, and become tactical shooter fangirl, but instead I’m going to go with Shadow Warrior this week – my brain has officially fried since the Cognition Steam Launch and I just want to bring heavy weaponry to a katana party. Who wouldn’t want to play as Lo Wang once more- blowing up or decapitating anything that stands in your way? Nothing but pure Duke Nukem/Doom/Quake era nostalgia packed into this Ultimate Enhanced Edition.
I’m kind of glad they’re still making Armored Core games. Not that I’ve ever paid full price for one. Still, I like my mech tinkering.
FYI: the price on Solomon’s Key is wrong. It says $3.99 on Nintendo’s site (http://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/Kei_NiuCtyrox5rDBdnik75QUKz_HjFn)
but it’s $4.99 in the eShop.
It’s a dollar, damnit!
Nice catch, Ryo! Make them honor the $3.99 price and you’ll earn the honor!
Nintendon’t charge me that extra dollar!
I want The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD but I’ll wait for the disc version because of Nintendo and their DRM practices.
BTW Monster Hunter for the Wii U and 3DS are half off for a few days. Someone tell SeanNOLA.
Why isn’t Scribblenauts Unmasked on PS3 or 360? What is this conspiracy?
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD and the Pac-Man DX+ patch for me!
That Polygon article in the main link only gives part of the story (of course). Besides the free patch to Pac-Man Championship Edition DX+, you also have to pay to get the character skins like Dig Dug.
Typical McElroy half-ass journalism.
I bet they just cut and pasted from a press release and added a quote.
Please change the info. Polygon only got part of the story. The good stuff is hidden behind a paywall.
Update that shit, Deagle.
I’ll be picking up FIFA 14.
I’m with Robert for Takedown: Red Sabre.
I might have to get the Dig Dug skins for Pac-Man Championship Edition DX+
Nothing for me this week.
Beware Say after a game launch! She wants blood!
Haha! It’s been a crazy week, I think I have had Steam nightmares these last couple of days. ALL SHIT KEPT BREAKING – but it’s all fixed and under control and whatever.
I can’t wait to play some TakeDown this weekend, I feel like I’m cheating on Killing Floor and I so don’t care! Pew pew lasers and all that.
Have a tall glass of kool-aide and shoot Robert in the back for me. 😉
Imma sad panda. TakeDown broke my heart this weekend: Multiplayer doesn’t work, it disconnects me even while single player, teammates just do whatever they want (stand and die, block me inside rooms, they don’t obey commands); But I guess the highlight of this horribad experience so far is reading Robert say “I just got killed by a door”.
Ill get the bat! 😀 I hope they fix before people lose interest D:
I don’t even know, there’s like 26 pages of complains and bug reports (also a bit of crazy hate) on Steam about all this. What concerns me is that there’s not much activity from the developers – if any at all, to at least acknowledge these situations or say if there is, or will be a patch any moment soon. I guess I won’t be playing TakeDown this weekend :.(
Do you have a link?
26 pages? Wow, that’s awful. I wonder if it even went through beta. Steam needs some kind of quality control before they push out crap.
It’s currently 28 pages and they keep getting worse:
http://steamcommunity.com/app/236510/discussions/0/
I particularly feel horrible for this one “TotalBiscuit PSA: DO NOT BUY”: http://steamcommunity.com/app/236510/discussions/0/846965056736037702/
And this one “Sign this for steam to take the game down and get a refund” (currently 630 most likely angry replies so far): http://steamcommunity.com/app/236510/discussions/0/846965056735071940/
I think this comment from one of the most recent threads describes how I feel as well: “the lack of communication from the devs is a real slap in the face and shows that they have zero respect for the people who funded the project on kickstarter or the people who bought the game on steam.”
http://steamcommunity.com/app/236510/discussions/0/846965056764339199/
You’re telling me NO ONE of the team can take a moment out of their weekend to assure players that things will get fixed. I wonder if they’re using any of the Kickstarter money to party.
Some site needs to get to the bottom of this. I swear Kickstarter is getting to be as shady as a Russian used car lot.
After playing the current build, I have to retract my endorsement. The game I played at E3 was much different that the current state of Takedown: Red Saber.
Right now, the single player game has almost no tactical element. There’s no planning or even a map before you start the mission, just a choice of two insertion points. Both squad and enemy AI are abysmal. Friendly don’t follow orders, there’s no waypoints, they just tag along, occasionally firing back when the feel like it. Also, you better have a good look at the control scheme before you leave- there’s no consulting the list of commands while in-game.
Enemies are oblivious to weapons fire and seem to be unable to handle players that run around like a COD player. When they are shot, they morph into strange ragdoll shapes and their rifles often float through the air. You can pick up a rifle, but it’s doesn’t indicate the model. You can see enemies through glass and can shoot them, but the material doesn’t shatter- there’s bullet holes that disappear after a few seconds.
Multiplayer is filled with problems. Matchmaking is broken. There is no way to invite friends. The join game function only work sporadically. Often, you’re booted out for no reason. The game can’t even exit correctly most of the time. To host, you must give your IP; even then it wasn’t working for me.
I had high hopes for Takedown, but they’re been shot down, laid to rest in a pile of mangled tangos and hoovering guns. It’s going to take a lot of work to bring this game to a playable state. Currently, the developers have showed little interest in soothing fears, as well.
Wow, that’s brutal.
Thanks for the update, Robert! Keep us posted.
I heard the latest patch completely fixes things.
Here’s the latest screenshot straight from Serellan games.
Screenshot #2:
Robert is like a scorned lover. Watch the hell out.
C’mere Deagle, you need a hug.
Haha, this comment is pure win.
Boss, you forgot to mention door aggro needs to be nerfed 😮
Back to loliis!
Return home, Robert. Don’t look back. Just keeping running toward the sound of girls giggling.
Robert, it’s not too late to pick Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure. 😉