Scary Girl is you basic platformer when it comes down to the gameplay and the enemies. There are bosses that you will encounter throughout the six hour campaign which all have a different technique or strategy you will need to figure out to defeat them. You have a slashing hook/arm that you can use to attack enemies as well as grab on to them and either bash them on the ground on top of other enemies or throw them at enemies is any direction thanks to the left joystick. At times you may need to use enemies to launch them in a direction to progress, where your arm/hook is also used to grab onto vines to swing to a distant location as well as give you a float ability aside from jumping, using as a propeller.

You can upgrade your combat skills and weaponry whenever you come across an oddly looking merchant selling them, which you must use little diamonds you collect throughout the levels, which are the basic currency as they may be compared to coins in other games. Upgrade your hook arm with different attachments is a choice or you can purchase new moves to inflict more damage on enemies with some giving you the upper hand. Scary Girl can also purchase little 3D Vinyl’s of enemies which only serve the purpose of being able to look at them in your collection a top your bed in your little home where you can select levels, continue your campaign or jump into the ‘Onion Bowl’ which is just tutorials on how to play. It makes more sense to purchase upgrades to your arm more than anything as you can buy a feather letting you float farther, which is necessary to collect certain things like heart containers giving you more overall health (much like the Zelda games) and a better hook that has more range, beneficial for all its uses among other upgrades.

Another odd friend you may come across is a fellow that with give you full health provided you pay the fee. There are plenty of different enemies in the game that you may use different techniques to defeat, like combos (with you having a heavy/light attack as well as your grapple), but most enemies can be killed from just simply button mashing the light attack button. This aspect of combat separates Scary Girl from its other unique, platforms, arcade counterparts in a way that can be looked at as not being creative or difficult enough. However I think it is a great way to bring people that are not platform masters into the type of game as well as making it easy for a younger audience to get enjoyment out of it.

Personally I enjoyed the game, not having the frustration some of the award winning arcade titles that has given me with their challenge. Not everyone appreciates that challenge while Scary Girl is not all easy while I found myself dying throughout different parts of the campaign. The game has 7 levels with 3 stages on each level. As far as the enemies and the backdrop of the game, it was not as impressive as I might have expected. The real unique aspect of Scary Girl is the twisted, yet not evil story and Scary Girl herself as she looks like a sewn together doll that looks like a pirate… something that looks like it came straight out of the mind of Tim Burton if you ask me.

Overall Scary Girl is fun game; it has things here and there that make it new, like having to choose between a fork in the road which in a 2D styled platform game is not usual. However it was things like those that made enough difference to make me appreciate the title along with its twisted style of children narration, its unique art style of the main character and the overall gameplay. You can also play the game in 2 player offline co-op which is a plus as well as a minus. This aspect is great and should have been pushed farther to make it an online co-op title especially with there not being any other multiplayer aspects of the game. If you are looking for something new and fun than Scary Girl is certainly something you should consider purchasing. If you are looking for something to compare or top some of the recently, extremely unique, challenging arcade platformers that have come from indie developers, you may want to look elsewhere. Never the less the game is an enjoyable experience that anyone can jump into.

This game was reviewed on the Xbox 360. 

You can pick between three different characters at the start of the game, who each have their own background stories and are just made up for the game. These characters are not what you think though as they are just normal human beings and it is only once you begin the game that your mutant power is revealed to you. This game also takes place in a time where Professor X is dead, which for any fan is a complete bummer just knowing he is not around. That among other aspects combined together made it far from a good game. In fact the game may have come across better without the X-Men title.

While you have the choice to customize your character and evolve them in the manner you wish, it is pretty much the only thing you have control of. What I mean by that is that the game gives you plenty of choices almost trying to give it, its own RPG element by choosing factions to side with among other things. But they make no real difference as the story of the game just ends up being the same. You wind up fighting the Brotherhood and Magneto no matter your choices throughout the game. This is just one of the largest examples of how meaningless the choices are.

You do occasionally get the chance to fight alongside well known Marvel characters from the X-Men franchise, however the AI in the game is at some points laughable, whether in their attempts to defeat you or an AI team member fighting with you. Now the whole idea behind X-Men is that each mutant has their own unique ability and whether you realize it or not, that aspect is one of the things that made the franchise so great. In X-Men Destiny you can choose different suits (which are not impressive looking) and change genes at will, making you kind of a mutt as you have no true classification. So instead of being unique, you end up being a melting pot of many different mutants just by pressing start. This just defeats the ideals of X-Men.

The story is dull as well as the San Francisco landscape the game takes place in. Nothing in the game really stands out or has any real intriguing aspects. There is no skipping the dialogue and the game has no replay value. If you have nothing better to do, I suppose it might be worth a playthrough as it is quite short, but I would not suggest purchasing the game. As a fan of X-Men (and not just the films) the game was a disappointment and as a gamer I would maybe rent this if I had dominated ever single other worthwhile game out there.

This game was reviewed on the Xbox 360.

Game Developers and Publishers Trion would like to lend their Holiday Spirit by participating in this online giveaway where five lucky winners will get a copy of the game Rift. No matter what holiday you celebrate you are eligible to win Trion’s Rift-mas Giveaway. Although Rift was released earlier this year during March it is still one amazing fantasy MMORPG. The contest is only eligible to residents of the U.S. and Canada.

All you have to do to enter the give away is comment what class you would play as in the game. Once the Holidays drift away, we will them randomly pick 5 lucky winners to receive the fantasy MMORPG, Rift for the PC. There are four classes being Warrior, Cleric, Rogue and Mage with each of those classes having sub classes. To help you decide here are descriptions of each class along with their subclasses straight from the official site.

Warrior
Weapons, tactics, and combat are the mainstays of a Warrior’s life. Both the barbarian raiding a village and the knight commanding a column of troops adhere to the tenets of discipline, personal combat, and martial training. Every Warrior knows how to fight in close quarters, to take a blow and deliver a mortal wound in return. As the elemental forces have closed around Telara, a growing number of Warriors have incorporated magical techniques into their martial styles.

Warriors excel as lone combatants or within a larger force, depending upon what fighting styles they have mastered or choose to employ. Warriors as a Calling have no shared ethos or background, but their training, mastery of weapons, and enduring nature unite them in spirit. The noble barbarian and corrupt knight meet as equals on the battlefield.

Gameplay
Front-line combatants without peer, Warriors reliably make up the core of any fighting force. These hardened and disciplined fighters never falter, and can be counted on to protect those weaker than themselves. But virtue is not a defining characteristic. Many Warriors conceal sinister motives, every battle a chance to slake their bloodlust.

A Warrior knows that the key to victory is to outlast one’s foe, carefully waiting for the opportune moment to mount a devastating assault. To this end, Warriors will spend decades training their bodies, building up a reservoir of power to see them through any fight.

Equipment
Warriors are melee fighters who rely on heavy plate armor for protection as they close with their opponents. Many augment their armor with large, sturdy shields built to deflect even the fiercest blow. Others forgo this extra protection, wielding massive axes, swords, and glaives to cut a swath through their enemies.

Cleric
Telara’s original wielders of magic gained their powers through pacts with minor elemental spirits. Through devoted study, these Clerics reached out to ever-more-powerful beings, soon communing with demons, faeries, and gods. These holy men and women founded a number of spiritual disciplines: some focused tightly on a narrow ethos, while others retained more free-form theological allegiances.

Although those who take up this calling boast extensive knowledge and keen intellect, Clerics value wisdom and faith above all else. Intensely focused, a Cleric tackles any endeavor secure in the support of powerful beings incomprehensible to the layman. These beings’ exact nature depends upon each Cleric’s culture of origin and spiritual training regimen.

Gameplay
Clerics are renowned for their powerful support magic, able to repair the most grievous injuries or cure the deadliest diseases. The spells at a Cleric’s command are as varied as the patron deities they follow. Many Clerics are also capable combatants who rain divine wrath from afar, or wade into the thick of battle, warhammer swinging.

Clerics fuel their spells with the arcane energy known as mana. Granted by their patron deity, a Cleric’s pool of mana is not limitless and must be carefully managed, lest the Cleric deplete his reserves in a crisis.

Equipment
The militant orders gird themselves in chainmail, and march into close combat wielding heavy, two-handed warhammers, or a simple combination of mace and shield. The more arcane priesthoods, meanwhile, wear cloth vestments, brandishing symbols of spiritual power such as staves, tomes, and totems.

Rogue
The history of martial combat stretches back to the earliest days of Telara, when war was a brutal, messy, simple affair. This, as any Rogue will tell you, was the heyday of the Warrior. Their own tradition began much later, after people learned to fight with their minds as well as their muscles.

The arts of the Rogue are handed down by many different masters, each of whom developed unique forms and techniques. All Rogues are sophisticated combatants and dynamic thinkers, who utilize every available tool to skew the battlefield to their advantage. In the cities, Rogues learned to use shadow and cover to catch their targets unaware. Other Rogues learned the secrets of the wild, taming savage beasts and brewing poisons from the flora. Still others gained mastery over the arcane to enhance their weapons and attacks.

Gameplay
Rogues are most at home skulking around the edges of battle, waiting for the perfect moment to strike with overwhelming force and minimal chance of counterstrike. They excel at tasks requiring a quick mind and quicker blade, such as dueling, scouting, and assassination. Not all Rogues live in the shadows. Many are simply loners, at home on the edges of society, mastering the arts of hunting and animal husbandry to survive.

An expert at hit-and-run tactics, a Rogue relies on quick bursts of energy to fuel dazzling combination attacks that cripple and maim, leaving opponents open for lethal finishing maneuvers.

Equipment
Rogues prefer simple leather armor, leaving them unencumbered to move stealthily and make swift escapes. In close combat, a Rogue wields a light-weight sword or dagger in each hand. Never the sort to give up an advantage, many Rogues have also mastered the art of ranged combat with bows and firearms.

Mage
Since the dawn of time, spirits, creatures, and eruptions of energy from the elemental planes have shaped Telara in profound ways. Mortals watched planewalkers call forth elemental power, and gleaned from their techniques the basics of arcane magic. Through research and experimentation, the ancient Mages learned to control the elements without pledging themselves to any gods or minor spirits. After mastering broad elemental incantations, Mages focused their studies on individual elements, tapping the potential of primal forces controlled by a skilled hand.

Magical study is no solitary affair. Mages gather to share their arts and research, and arcane schools have risen and fallen throughout Telara’s history. The two greatest schools still in existence are Quicksilver College, where Mathosian students come to study under ancient Elven masters; and the new academy in the stronghold of Meridian, where Defiant scholars accumulate the recovered knowledge of the Eth.

Gameplay
Devastating long-range combatants, the arcane powers Mages wield can tear through any opponent, regardless of armor. While Mages are renowned as a fearsome offensive force on the field of battle, a number of orders specialize in potent support and healing magic as well.

A Mage must carefully manage the arcane energies they draw from the planes to power their spells. With each spell cast, excess planar energies seep into Telara, building a charge around the Mage, who can let this excess energy bleed off over time, or harness it for even greater power.

Equipment
The art of weaving magic does not favor heavy armors that distract the senses and restrict movement. Though the Mage’s traditional light cloth robes leave their bodies vulnerable, their mind is their true bulwark. Mages employ a variety of arcane items such as staves, wands, tomes, and totems to focus their spell-casting. In addition, many Mages protect themselves in close combat with a simple edged weapon such as a dagger or short sword.

Here is the launch trailer for Shinobi for the 3DS. As you play a Ninja looking for revenge for those who burnt your home village to the ground, as the trailer shows of the skill and style you use to defeat enemies as you quickly switch between different types of attacks. You can also see how Ninja Magic will benefit you in more ways than one.

The Battlefield Blog has posted an article with a whole bunch of details regarding the Back to Karkand DLC coming to Battlefield 3. In goes in to detail about the design idea for the expansion pack. It of course is free to anyone that pre-ordered the game but will cost you $14.99 or 1200 Microsoft Points. For some reason PlayStation 3 players will have exclusive 1 week early access to Back to Karkand expansion when it comes out this December.

Now only with the Back to Karkand Expansion have new maps but it will also include five new dog tags, five new achievements/trophies, three new vehicles, 10 classic Battlefield weapons as well as a new persistence system that lets players complete assignments to earn their rewards. Check out the full article right here.

Dungeon Defenders developers, Trendy Entertainment has open the game to the community by releasing a Development Kit. Players can create their own modes and content within the game. They have also added a new 16-player Capture the Flag Pre-Alpha version of the mode. Modding the game will give you access to the entire source code, on top of the fact that as a community, everyone can help develop the new 16 Player Capture the Flag, PvP Mode. This is for the PC only obviously and you can view more details in the full press release below.

Twain Harte, CA – November 11th –Today, Trendy Entertainment is opening Dungeon Defenders up to the community with the release of its Dungeon Defenders Development Kit and 16-player Capture the Flag pre-alpha on PC. With these tools, Dungeon Defenders players will not only be able to modify Dungeon Defenders’ content and create entirely new games based on its code, but they’ll be able to directly influence the development of Trendy’s next major gameplay mode – 16-player Capture the Flag. With seamless multiplayer matchmaking with automatic transferring of new maps and content over the Internet, all players will be able to enjoy this user-created content.

The Dungeon Defenders Development Kit (found here: http://store.steampowered.com/app/202522/?snr=1_4_4__103) is a robust set of tools for players to modify all aspects of Dungeon Defenders and create their own content and games. Packaged with the game’s complete source code and art assets, it is one of the definitive Unreal reference codebases for anyone looking to create their own Unreal games.

This Dungeon Defenders Capture the Flag: Pre-Alpha Pass (found here: http://store.steampowered.com/app/202523/?snr=1_4_4__103) grants players early access to Dungeon Defenders’ 16-player Capture the Flag mode. Here they must form 8-man teams and score the most points by killing opponents and holding the flag for the longest time. This mode will be playable online with players’ existing characters, and players can provide feedback to Trendy Entertainment while they flesh out this gameplay mode through their forums here.

More information on the Dungeon Defenders Development Kit and Dungeon Defenders Capture the Flag: Pre-Alpha Pass can be found in this YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGFXA91NsOw.

Also, a video example of the First Person Defenders mod included with the Development Kit can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFMSCvstvYM.

Modding Support and Content can be found via Trendy’s forums here, or via http://www.dungeondefendersnexus.com/

Dungeon Defenders brings together the best elements of tower defense and action-RPG progression in a fully 3D environment; spreading the four-player co-op mayhem out across 15 unique maps –  30 challenges,  four difficulty settings –  in all its loot-raiding, spell-casting, level-up stacking glory. Players control one of four distinct heroes – Squire, Apprentice, Huntress and Monk – in an epic bid to fight back an ancient evil. Each character comes with distinct functionalities, and players can create and customize an armory of weapons and equipment. The campaign, whether with friends or solo, has tons and tons of gameplay with hundreds of loot drops (all upgradeable and customizable) to make each character that much more distinct.

Check out the launch trailer for Dungeon Defenders here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KhaA279thk

Dungeon Defenders is rated E10+ by the Entertainment Software Review Board and is available for download now on Xbox LIVE Arcade for 1,200 Microsoft Points, and on PlayStation Network and Steam for $14.99. For more information on the game, visit www.dungeondefenders.com, follow the game on Facebook http://facebook.com/dungeondefenders or follow the Trendy team @TrendyEnt.

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ABOUT REVERB PUBLISHING:

Founded in 2010, Reverb Publishing offers digital publishing to independent game developers on PlayStation Network, Xbox LIVE Arcade, Wiiware, Steam, iOS and Droid, by combining production and business development support paired with the proven public relations and marketing agency expertise from its parent company, Reverb Communications. Reverb Publishing’s unique business model is form fitted for studios, ensuring that they receive the majority of the game’s revenue and maintain ownership of their titles while Reverb handles all the non-developmental tasks including production support, navigating QA, and preparing for product submission.

The PR veterans at Reverb Communications have worked on recognizable brands like Guitar Hero, Rock Band, The Beatles: Rock Band, Dance Central, Star Trek Online, as well as stellar digital titles like ZEN Pinball, Battle Slots, Army of Darkness, BloodRayne Betrayal, Kung Fu LIVE and many more. For more information about Reverb Publishing, please visit www.reverbpublishing.com.

ABOUT TRENDY ENTERTAINMENT:

Trendy Entertainment is an independent Florida studio focused on rapid, low-cost development of broad-demographic games for digital distribution. It is composed of the co-founders of Artificial Studios Inc. and former directors of Ignition Entertainment, who have together released numerous titles for PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 system, including Monster Madness and Cell Factor. For more information, please visit http://trendyent.com/

Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox LIVE are either registered trademarks or trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

The base Vault made by Calibur 11 is now an officially licensed Mircrosoft Product. So Calibur 11 is no longer considered as a third party peripheral developer when it comes the the Xbox 360 Slim, as all vaults fit nicely in the Slim version of the Xbox 360 only. On top of this good news for Calibur 11, they are hard at work, creatively designing new vault for games to come with features that are unique to any other vault they have made in the past. They are trying to expand their creative ideas that brought us the Gears of War 3 Vault and the Battlefield 3 Vault. View the full press release below.

DULUTH, MN, November 11, 2011 – Widely recognized by both consumers and industry professionals for its ability to both protect and enhance the style of the Xbox 360 S Console, Calibur11 today announced that the Calibur11 Vault is now an officially licensed Microsoft product.  The agreement affords Calibur11 a wide array of development opportunities around a variety of enhanced features.

“We are pleased to become an official licensee of Microsoft and dispel any erroneous beliefs about our product and its interaction with the Xbox 360 S console,” said Coy Christmas, CEO of Calibur11.  “Our engineering team is already at work designing and testing new features that will increase The Vault’s functionality like never before.”

Calibur11’s Base Vaults are now available for a suggested retail price of $59.95; while customized nameplates carry a suggested retail price of $17.95.  Exclusively licensed Vaults such as the Major League Gaming, Gears of War 3 and Battlefield 3 are also available in a variety of pricepoints.  More information can be found online at www.calibur11.com. 

About Calibur11

Formed in 2010, Calibur11 specializes in innovative lifestyle accessories for the video game consumer, with a vision to create high-end products that satisfies the needs of gamers worldwide.  With more than 70 years of combined industry experience, Calibur11 is ideally positioned to deliver cutting-edge solutions that can be tailored to individual preferences.  More information can be found online at www.calibur11.com.

This product is manufactured under license from Microsoft Corporation.  Microsoft, Kinect, Xbox, Xbox LIVE, Xbox 360, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies

Of course this is where the premise of the story really begins, as you must make your way back to the top. Gain money by various ways, purchase properties, unlocking new weapons and taking on the three other gangs holding territory that stand in your way from owning Steelport. Right away in the first real mission of the game, I was pleased to find my character singing along to Sublimes, ‘What I Got’ which is a song that everyone knows and with it not bring me back to times of the past, it was funny to here him making up his own words like we all do. In addition it was just a taste of possibly one of the best all around soundtracks I have heard in a game. You will hear anything from Sublime to Kanye West to Deadmau5 to classic ’80s hits. To top it off you can actually go through each radio station, viewing each song they play and make your own mix tape from all the tracks in the game that you can listen to whenever your in a vehicle of course.

Be afraid… be very afraid.

The gameplay is just amazing in Saints Row The Third. You can quickly steal a car by jumping feet first through the drivers side, or even the front windshield, kicking the person out of the car, which is not only convenient but looks way cooler than opening the door and pulling the driver out (which you still have the option of doing). Volition have really done a spectacular job with the game making it fun but adding features like all the different upgrades you can purchase. Whether you are upgrading a weapon to giving yourself more time to sprint, the list goes on. As you progress through the game you will start to own different and bigger homes, with you second being a nice little penthouse a top a building with a swimming pool to garnish the patio. You also have a garage at every single one of you homes, and this is great because any car that you customize in a shop is automatically put into your virtual garage. You can then customize it further from any of your home or have it delivered right to your home. Eventually you will be able to have things delivered to you where ever you are.

You can see the similarities the game has with GTA but Saints Row The Third takes things a step further. When you start you can customize your character from your cheek bones down to their sex appeal and of course the game is notorious for its crazy outfits, whether it’s Bondage or a giant Teddy Bear. You can also stop by plastic surgery clinic to change your physical appearance after the start of the game as well as finding new outfits, jewelry, and accessories depending on what store you walk into to change. The customization is nearly endless giving you the ability to look serious or as ridiculous as ever and unlike GTA, the entire campaign can be played in co-op, so it is interesting to see what another player looks like when you join up with them.

It’s good to be a Saint

Respect is gained for just about everything you do in the game from buying new clothes to completing mission and acts as a kind of experience point system if you will. That along with control and cash will have you running the city of Steelport in no time. One of the best ways to attain cash are to purchase properties and you are rewarded cash for every mission you do as well. There are even perks which you can purchase that make people drop more cash one killed and give you an instant pickpocket just by bumping into them. The story is actually pretty good in the game, it may not be the best storyline I have ever seen but Saints Row The Third is much more about the experience and having fun through out the campaign. Every mission is different as you might have one that is practically a cut scene where another may be long and involving you to kill hundreds of people. Luckily the latter is seen more often and you might be fending off the cops along with one of the three other gangs at the same time during a mission, but fortunately the game lets you go about mission in your own way.

You fly jets in the game, shoot little mind controlling octopuses on people brains (if you pre-ordered it), bring a Helicopter to a gun fight or even call in a team of AI re-enforcements. Saints Row The Third does a fantastic job of keep you tied to your seat with almost every moment action packed. When you are not reeking havoc, you can enjoy the more humorous side of the game like beating people do death with a giant purple dildo bat or completing one of the games challenges, like running over crowds of people on the side walk… oh wait, that’s still reeking havoc. Challenges are just another part of the the side missions, as there are Assassination missions and Car Theft mission too. This all ensures that you are never bored and there is always something to do.

It’s go time! Said the Bunny Rabbit

On top of the campaign which has two different endings, which could have been better, but you kind of just want to get back to smashing people with the power fists. There is ‘Whored’ mode which you can play with a friend as well as will have you face waves of enemies that can range from gangsters to Professor Genkis and other ridiculous enemies. Each wave provides you with a weapon and a unique kind of round, like killing masochists or Mistress’s bitches (whatever you want to call them) with a giant dildo. Each round will have you doing over the top and have you laughing while you fighting for your life, but actually it is not that hard to complete the 30 waves, it is more of a fun added mode that you can play on different maps as different characters. Downloadable content is already on the way so this game should be a purchase for anyone who likes to have fun and can stand a little perverted humor, which in today’s age, is quite frankly rather common.

This game was reviewed on the Xbox 360.

The hit arcade game that was released on Xbox Live Arcade, PSN and PC, being Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is now available on the iPhone as well as the iPod Touch.  It is currently on sale right now for only $0.99, that’s right only 99 cents normally running you $2.99, but only for 4 days.

The console version had a unique co-op experience, the iOS version has unlockable weapons, upgrades and takes advantage of the isometric camera. The sale will run from November 10 to November 14 and you can get it right here at the iTunes App Store.

The Final Fantasy XIII-2 Collector’s Edition will only be available while supplies last, so it is first come first serve. I would pre-order it now if you intend on getting it on top of the fact that it will only be available at GameStop, Amazon.com and Best Buy running you only $79.99.  This Limited Collectors Edition of the game is a North American exclusive.

The Collector’s Edition will include a 4-disc official soundtrack as well as a collection of full color concept artwork with material from the making of Final Fantasy XIII-2, including a variety of never-before-seen illustrations, environments and more. If you don’t want to shell out the extra money for the Collector;s Edition these specific retailers are offering free content just for pre-ordering the game with them.

GameStop
Receive an exclusive in-game item by pre-ordering at GameStop
– Alternate costume for Serah, visible throughout the game

Amazon
Exclusive Omega Boss Battle
– Unique coliseum battle against boss enemy “Omega,” who joins the player’s party afterward

Best Buy
Collectible Hardcover Book
– FINAL FANTASY XIII – Episode I: Novella, an original story that ties together the events of FINAL FANTASY XIII and FINAL FANTASY XIII-2