Mass Effect 3 Extended Cut releases on June 26

SPOILER ALERT! - Will contant spoilers to Mass Effect 3's ending, you've been warned. Just a friendly reminder for all those people who raged so hard when they saw the ending of Mass Effect 3, the Extended Cut DLC that pretty much adds additional cut scenes and cinematic sequences to the ending of the game will be released on June 26 for Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and PC at no additional cost. If you still care about getting more closure in Mass Effect 3, then I suggest you prepare your save game for next week.

You complained and they actually listened. The additional cut scenes and sequences will give you a bit more closure at the same time show the impact of the choices you made in the game.

Below is an interview with producer Casey Hudson, and lead writer Mac Walters as they discussing the additional cinematic sequences and epilogue scenes.

I was perfectly fine with Mass Effect 3's ending. I had a lot of questions but I like the fact that we don't have a clear picture on the state after the reaper invasion, if Shepard survived, and what happened to the races and Shepard's crew. It made my mind wander of the possibilities on the state of the universe. I have a huge feeling though that the Extended Cut might still not be enough to satisfy the fans, they always want more.

To get the Extended Cut, Bioware suggests you load your file right before you infiltrate the Cerberus base. I'll be revisiting my Mass Effect 3 save file in preparation for this Extended Cut DLC, because I have no idea if I even have a save before the Cerberus base.

20-minutes of Dead Space 3 gameplay makes me worried for the Dead Space franchise

Dead Space 3 was announced at this year's E3 and yes its official - The game has drop-in drop-out co-op. The last game had competitive multiplayer which was ok since it was separated from the singe player campaign. But this time coop mode replaces multiplayer, and is part of the whole campaign, which I don't like one bit. Its the same game yes, but the changes added into the third installment questions the game's ability to deliver what we want out of Dead Space, and that is the thrill of getting freaked out by necromorphs. The fear of running out of ammo and literally making Isaac run for his life. This game is a survival horror, and the changes actually questions that. Sure, they say you can still play the game solo, but they stated that playing the game in co-op will unlock "additional story details and gameplay mechanics" only found when playing with a friend. That said - The full experience of the campaign is actually in coop. I would have been fine with Dead Space 3 being the same game but with maybe added features. We've seen it before with other games, but did they really need to add an extra mode? To make it sell better, sadly yes, which is why I think the Dead Space franchise could be hitting a brick wall with these kinds of decisions.

Maybe I'm overreacting with how Visceral Studios is presenting the game, but the final nail in the coffin was the fact that you can take cover and engaged in a firefight with actual humans. Not only am I questioning if this is still a Survival Horror game, I'm also wondering if its even the same game.  This is the first time in the series that we see not-so infected humans wanting Isaac dead. After killing Necromorphs over and over again in the first two games, adding human enemies in the third really looks off to me. Even the game's levels seem more open giving Dead Space 3 a completely different feel.

Dead Space 3 is planned for next year for Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.

E3 2012: Dead Island: Riptide announced, already priced

During E3 2012, Deep Silver released a surprise announcement of a new Dead Island game. Whether you hate it or not, a new game is being developed and its an entirely new game. Aside from it being announced, online retailers have given a legit price point for the game. With no screenshots or any information about Riptide, the game will cost $50. 

With the lowered price point, people wondered why that is. Apparently, when asked about the lowered price, a Deep Silver employee confirmed by saying:

“That’s not a placeholder :) that’s the real price! It’s the end of a console cycle- we think this price makes a lot more sense given that :)”

With that said, not only does this confirms the games price point, it also confirms that next generation console are not far away. Sony and Microsoft are obviously not talking about next generation yet, but it's definitely coming and I predict announcements sometime around next year. Nintendo has already kicked off the next generation of consoles with the Wii U. The presentation for the new console is still pretty underwhelming after two E3 presentations about it, but if I remember correctly, Sony didn't have a great start with the reveal of the Playstation 3 too, so we'll see how it all turns out. But from where the Wii U stands at this point, I can honestly say it's still not worth the purchase. Nintendo has yet to impress me.

[Source: Ripten]

Unreal Engine 4 running on real-time gives us a glimpse of the future

 

Unreal Engine 4 has been officially revealed to the public by Epic Games. The tech demo titled "Elemental" shows a supernatural knight inside a volcano waking up from its long sleep. The tech demo is of course being played in real-time and showcases the power of Unreal Engine 4.

I suggest you guys watch the video at 720p.

For all you tech savvy game developers - Here's a walkthrough video thanks to GameTrailers showing us the features in this new game engine.

According to Epic Games, actual games running on Unreal Engine 4 will be out sometime around 2013. A lot of game studios are all excited to give the engine a spin. With Epic Games revealing Unreal Engine 4 and Square Enix teasing the world on how Final Fantasy games could look like in the future, 2013 just might be the year of next-gen reveals.

E3 2012: The highs and lows of the big three

E3 press conferences are over and the show floor is open. Who got most of the attention? Which press conference was the best? Well, lets start by saying - E3 2012 press conference's overall was pretty bad. While there were amazing game demo's, the overall presentation for the big three left a bad taste in my mouth. With Microsoft's Usher performance that came out of nowhere, to Sony's Wonderbook, to Nintendo having awkward discussions on stage, each press conference made me shake my head in disappointment. Here are the highs and lows of the big three's press conferences.

Microsoft Press Conference 

+ Great third-party game demos - This shocked me in Microsoft's press conference. Game's like Tomb Raider, Splinter Cell: Blacklist, and even Resident Evil 6 made its appearance at the Microsoft stage, impressing the audience with a live gameplay demo.Tomb Raider and Splinter Cell is definitely on my to-buy list. Resident Evil 6 though I need more convincing. Is it even Resident Evil anymore?

- No new exclusive Xbox 360 titles - This is what I was hoping to see during the press conference - A reveal of a new title that could stand side by side with Microsoft's most beloved franchises. Instead, we got the a safe lineup - Halo 4 and Gears of War: Judgement. People will still love it I'm sure, but just one new title would do for me.

+ Microsoft SmartGlass - Microsoft revealed a neat application. This is their answer to Wii U's gamepad features and pretty much offers the same deal. An extra screen and yet another way to control your console. What makes SmartGlass amazing is the fact that you can use this application on any smartphone or tablet device. As long as your device is being runned by Windows 8, iOS, or Android, you can use SmartGlass. Pure genius Microsoft, but what a low blow.

- Kinect heavy announcements - Sadly, this was inevitable. If we had to predict what Microsoft would do for this E3, it would be them going heavy with the Kinect, and that's what they did. Kinect's voice recognition was presented in a lot of presentations. From Splinter Cell being able to use your voice to call support, to Madden 13.  They also announced a number of Kinect games as well as a game that has a similar concept to Angry Birds. Kudos to Microsoft though for jumbling those Kinect announcements with third-party game demos. It was bad enough seeing them, but seeing them revealed one after the other is bad.

- Dance Central 3 reveal with Usher performance - Yes! They actually had Usher show up and perform. And were not talking about a 1 minute short performance, I'm talking about a whole song. When Dance Central 3 was revealed, instead of just showing the same old game(Because thats really what it is) they dumped the crowd with Usher, with the Dance Central 3 being shown in the monitors during the performance. I vowed never to see an Usher performance, but I did thanks to Microsoft. It was a trap!

Sony Press Conference 

+ Reveal of David Cage's new game - Beyond: Two Souls - Sony always states that they are always in the mercy of core gamers and they tried to show that by starting the show with a new title exclusive to Playstation 3. Exclusives are pretty rare now, and I'm happy to see new 1st party titles showing up and taking the risks. Beyond: Two Souls is Heavy Rain creator's next game. To sum it up real quick - Its Heavy Rain with a lot more action. That's how I understand it. The trailer did not give much on how the game is played but Quantic Dreams are aiming to bring the same quality shown in Heavy Rain but add more excitement to the gamers. The protagonist is also played by Ellen Page. Funny how she is sort of linked to two PS3 exclusives.

- Wonderbook - This was pretty unusual, Definitely aimed for the casual market, Wonderbook is a new peripheral for the Playstation 3 that serves as an augmented reality device. You place the book on your lap, and with the help of the PS eye, you can see intractable images in Wonderbook in your TV. Think of it as 3DS's augmented reality feature with the cards. It's a good piece of tech but looks a bit raw for now. The fact that it only has one title for it called the Book of Spells (being collaborated with J. K Rowling) and that you need the PS Move and the PS Eye as well to make it work. Its a educational device for children but we need to see more.

- Not many PS Vita announcements - We all know the PS Vita is only a few months old, but we also know that the handheld market is pretty darn crowded these days. They needed more titles to keep people interested and prevent dust from gathering on their devices. Call of Duty: Black Ops: Declassified and Playstation: All-Stars Battle Royale cross play was a good start, but it's not enough. I'm sure Vita owners agree.

+ The Last of Us Gameplay Demo - This is what I was waiting for - First look at The Last of Us gameplay, and boy, did it deliver. If Ellie's AI is actually a reliable source in the game, then Naughty Dog succeeded. We all know how much of a pain AI companions can be, so hopefully they found a solution to that problem. Sony is really pushing exclusive titles for the Playstation 3 and kudos to them for taking such risks. New IP's are always a risk since its unfamiliar to the market.

- No Kevin Butler - Come on Sony! We all know he is the perfect host for E3. No KB on a Sony press conference feels wrong and you know it.

Nintendo Press Conference

+ Pikmin 3 announcement - Nintendo needs exclusive titles, and Pikmin 3 felt like a good start. But from how they revealed the game gave you an idea that this wasn't their focus. While Pikmin 3 looked great with better graphics and such, most of the presentation was about the Wii U gamepay and what it gives the player.

- Third Party support feels a bit weak still - With Nintendo having third-party support, I was expecting a world premiere of a game coming from a big company. Instead, we got Batman Arkham City : Armored Edition - A game almost a year old with some Wii U features. No matter what they say, it's still an old game, and putting new costume, and new ways to play the game doesn't make it worth the full retail price.

- Too much emphasis on the Wii U GamePad - It really felt like part 2 when they revealed the Wii U. We know what it can do already, but can you give us a reason to buy the Wii U console? I consider the new controller amazing, but with so much focus on it, and no focus at all on the console, can you make the GamePad a compatible with the Wii? So I can buy it separately for it? Because you brought a good presentation for it, and now all I want is just that controller. Screw the console.

+ Zombi U announcement - This is what we needed to see, but that was just it. Zombi U is exclusive to the Wii U and it looks amazing. A perfect way to use the new features of the console and I really can't wait to see more if it. This is what we wanted from the Nintendo presentation - Game reveals to make us want the console. Not a detailed explanation of how to play Luigi's Ghost Mansion with the Wii U GamePad features. Seriously, that was just too long.

- No Zelda, Smash Bros, Mario, Metroid for the Wii U - I really don't understand Nintendo. They announce third-party support and graphics somewhat in-par with current consoles, but they don't give any flagship exclusive to get us all excited inside. Yes we do want a Zelda or Mario game with the same graphics power as the 360 and PS3. At least one big game announcement like that would cover core gamers, but sadly we'll have to settle with Pikmin 3. Better than having nothing at all I guess. It was announced that a new Mario game for the Wii U would be revealed. But all we got was Super Mario Bros. U, exactly the same game now on the 3DS and Wii, just added features thanks to the GamePad... again.

So there you have it. Not the E3 press conference I was looking for. Especially with Nintendo, they are first in line to bring us the next-gen console. Sadly, this doesn't look like it... yet. It was make or break, impress us or leave a bad first impression forever. Who won E3 among the three? None. If I had to pick a press conference, I'd go with Ubisoft. Have you seen Watch Dogs? Great reveal.

E3 is not over yet. The press conferences may be over but there are still two days for other companies to show off their games to the public. Go ahead to Gamespot or GameTrailers to see live coverages of each third-party game in E3.