Crackdown 2 Trailer

Crackdown 2 is lookin' tasty. I like the subtle art style adjustments. Looks a tad bit more realistic, but still has that outlined/graphic look. I've been meaning to add Crackdown to my list of "must-play-before-sequel-comes-out" games.

Matt (MWG)

L4D2: Now with chainsaws.

Don't get me wrong, I'm excited for L4D2. This means I can just hold off buying another copy of L4D while I wait for the sequel. But I was really just expecting Valve to put out some more DLC for the original. L4D2 looks like more good old zombie killing action. I guess it's not really a zombie game til you throw in the old chainsaw. Anyone think the graphic's look a little more Team Fortress-ish? This could be good news for gamers with weaker internet connections.

Matt (MWG)

Sign me up for Red Faction: Guerrilla

I don't know how much you guys have been looking into Red Faction: Guerrilla. The Single player, and now multiplayer demo are both available via XBL. I played through the single player demo a few times when it came out. I felt like it had potential and the destruction aspect was amazing, but honestly I didn't really think about it much afterward.

Until today. I queued up the multiplayer demo to download last night and booted it up a few hours ago. I seriously just got a good 2 hours out of it, and I still want to go back for more. First of all, what a great demo. Although it restricts you to playing only one gametype across two levels, you're actually able to level up and unlock items as you will in the full game. I'm not sure how to explain why the multiplayer, and not the single player really sold me on this game. Maybe it was just a bad level choice for single player, I'm not sure. But I feel like the depth and enjoyment I found in the multiplayer kind of proves the worth of what the single player could be. I dunno about you guys, but I'm ready to buy this game day one. Make sure to check out the demo and lemme know what you think!

Matt (MWG)

Inspired by Faith...

It's ironic that this is the second post I've made about something Mirror's Edge related, and I've never really had an interest in playing the game. But It's always awesome to see game-inspired art/performance, and this will be especially interesting for you Mirror's Edge Fans. Savage Land Studios has an entire photo collection of Mirror's Edge inspired photos up on Flickr. Everything from shot angles and locations down to the color pallete of each photo very closely resembles the game. Pretty awesome stuff. Check the album out here.

Ghostbuster's Multiplayer Footage

They crossed streams!

Matt (MWG)

The Short But Sweet Modern Warfare 2 Trailer

Though the trailer is small, the anticipation for this game is huge. I still go back to play COD4 from time to time and still have a ton of fun with it. It makes you almost wonder what they could do to improve on the original. Well I'm sure we will find out more at E3 but for right now all we have is a tease of in-game footage that spans all of a full 17 seconds. From it though, it looks like they have added more melee moves and are now making vehicles apart of the single player. Another thing to point out is that it looks like the developers are taking you out of a hot and humid Middle Eastern environment and sticking you into a very cold winter wonder land.

If anything, Modern Combat 2 is sure to look just as stunning as its predecessor. Now I'm pretty sure that there will be a beta for Modern Combat 2 and I'm guessing something will be announced somewhere here in the next couple weeks during E3....at least we can hope right?

Travis(MWG)

Red Dead Revolver - Glitchy, Frusterating, but awesome.

I just recently finished Red Dead Revolver for Original Xbox. The game isn't perfect, and proves itself to be pretty challenging, but still managed to be a ton of fun. Anyone looking for a good budget game for original xbox should check it out. I'm really excited for the sequel now too. Check out these clips from me playing RDR on JTV last weekend.



Watch live video from Midwest Gamer Podcast on Justin.tv


Watch live video from Midwest Gamer Podcast on Justin.tv

Matt (MWG)

New Battlefield 1943 Footage!

Newest vid of Battlefield 1943 via Joystiq. Looking forward to this game quite a bit. It'll be nice to be able to get my battlefield on without a PC gaming rig. Hits XBLA in June for 15 bones!

Matt (MWG)

Groov Thoughts.

I spoke a little bit about a shnazzy little game called Groov during Midwest Gamer Podcast Episode 6. I wanted to re-visit my thoughts on it before it's long forgotten within my laundry list of '09 games.

Groov is a twin stick, music based space shooter from Funkmasonry Industries. As far as I can tell, this is Funkmasonry's only game project thus far. The game will set you back 200 Microsoft points and consists of three different modes, two of which are unlockable. The initial playable mode "Original Mix", is by far the most satisfying way to play the game. "Original Mix" grants the player several lives and pits you up against waves of enemies, each of which behaves in a different way. Upon death, these enemies add a single musical note to a constantly evolving soundtrack. Subsequent modes are unlocked by achieving a preset high score. Beating the "Original Mix" high score unlocks "Expert Remix", a single life survival mode, and after beating the "Expert Remix" high score, players unlock a extraordinarily useless "Jam Session" mode.

I've heard alot of talk about how this game is a Geometry Wars ripoff, and to be honest, upon first playing Groov, I had never played a Geometry Wars game. After hearing this, I downloaded the trial version of Geometry Wars Evolved and gave it a try. I can definitely see where people are coming from, there are plenty of similarities, and Geometry Wars is a far more polished game in many ways. In spite of this, I still feel like Groov sets itself apart and proves it's worth, even in the shadow of the more popular Geometry Wars.

The way the player is able to actively take part in the manipulation of the soundtrack is incredibly satisfying. This creates a completely different experience each session and makes up for the lack of gametype variety found within the rest of the game. Groov kindly introduced me to this music creation type of gameplay and I have since sought out and found games with similar mechanics (ex. Lumines). I mentioned the enemy behavior earlier and I feel like this is one area where Groov really shines. Each enemy has it's own unique behavior, movement pattern, and respective sound/musical note for quick identification. All of these mechanics combined create a considerably difficult gaming experience, but somehow Groov manages to be one of the most relaxing games I've ever played. If for nothing else, Groov should be required playing material after a grueling N+ session. (Please consult with your family physician before using Groov to combat any unpleasant N+ side effects)

Matt (MWG)