Gaming Today

Dead Rising 2: Case West Walkthrough
GameFront 2010: Most Anticipated Games of 2011
Mod Db’s Editors’ Choice Best Single Player Mod 2010 Announced
IndieDb’s Players’ Choice Indie Of The Year Announced
ModDb Player’s Choice Mod of The Year Announced

Posted: 28 Dec 2010 12:43 AM PST

The ending of Dead Rising 2 certainly offered the opportunity for more, and what better way to provide it than by bringing back the beloved protagonist from the first game: Frank West, photojournalist.

The leather-jacketed shutterbug will fight side-by-side with Chuck Greene in this DLC, helping to get to the bottom of the shadowy conspiracy that unleashed the zombie plague into the shopping malls and casino cities of America. Featuring new combo weapons and the return of the camera mechanic from the first game, it ought to be well worth your downloadable Monopoly money.

Check back soon for the first installments of our walkthrough. In the meantime, take advantage of our walkthrough for the original game, our full cheats page, or our complete list of Dead Rising 2 Combo Weapons.

GameFront 2010: Most Anticipated Games of 2011

Posted: 28 Dec 2010 12:10 AM PST

There’s nothing better than playing an awesome game, but there is one pleasure that sometimes seem to approximate it. Whether it’s the relentless game industry hype machine, or the tantalizing subterfuge of screenshots and trailers, sometimes the anticipation can be almost as good as the payoff. Now that a new year is beginning, we have 365 days worth of delicious-looking new releases to look forward to. These are the games the GameFront staff is most excited about.

L.A. Noire

Ben Richardson’s Pick

Rockstar has proved that they can bring a historical setting to vibrant life with Red Dead Redemption, and Team Bondi’s L.A. Noire promises to do the same. While it boasts the kind of of period styling and attention to detail that was notable in Mafia II, there’s no doubt that this sandbox will actually be populated with some things to do.

The setting couldn’t be cooler. Film Noir and games are a match made in heaven — just look at Grim Fandango — and I’ve always been a huge fan of the genre’s L.A. incarnations, mostly in movies that adapt the thrilling, hard-boiled detective stories of Raymond Chandler. Also, I love Sam and Max as much as the next guy, but isn’t it about time we got to play as a serious, hard-drinking gumshoe?

The choice of Mad Men actor Aaron Staton to play the protagonist is a bold one, and was no doubt made with the game’s pioneering, facial-expression-capturing MotionScan technology in mind. While other games have relied on recognizable talent — vocally, like Sam Worthington in Black Ops or visually and vocally, like Sam Witwer in The Force Unleashed — the widespread popularity of Mad Men makes Staton’s participation especially notable. Though it won’t inspire the same sort of easy comparisons RDR did (Grand Theft Horse becomes Grand Theft Dame?), L.A. Noire (slated for a Q1/Q2 release) is sure to be a hit.

Dead Space 2

Phil Hornshaw’s Pick

I cannot wait for Dead Space 2. Good survival horror is hard to come by, and it seems that the last few years have lost a lot in terms of scary games. Sure, we have games like the F.E.A.R. series, but even Resident Evil seems to be taking a turn toward Gears of War-style action instead of its claustrophobic, hard-to-escape-zombie roots.

Meanwhile, two years ago, Dead Space seemed to come out of nowhere with the kind of sci-fi horror I love: evil alien monsters that convert their victims into additional alien monsters. The game is filled with tight spaces and creepy shadows, with lots of monsters leaping out of walls and vents to murder you.

Dead Space 2 has the apparently obligatory multiplayer addition being dropped into it, but from all accounts, controlling the monstrous necromorphs sounds crazy fun. But more of Dead Space's atmospheric story with its spooky religious overtones? Yes, sign me up.

F.3.A.R., Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Little Big Planet 2

Jon Soucy’s Picks

Loved the first two. I have my doubts based on what I saw at E3, but maybe they can pull it off.

Played the first Deus Ex to death. Hope this one is as good. We all know the graphics will be great. Cross your fingers for a story.

Come on — it’s LBP.

It's been a while since the last "good" iD game, and this one looks hot.

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, Mass Effect 3, Max Payne 3

Phil Owen’s Picks

Uncharted 2 was about as close to perfect as video games get. The way Naughty Dog puts these games together, seamlessly mixing together scripted sequences, gameplay and cutscenes without a damn loading screen in sight is sublime, and Amy Hennig's stellar writing on top of it all means a new Uncharted game should be treasured.

Do I really need to explain this game's place on the list? I've played Mass Effect 14 times and Mass Effect 2 seven times, and I'm about ready for some payoff that I can only assume will be appropriately epic. Let's hope BioWare structures this one a bit more organically.

It's possible — or, more correctly, probable — that Max Payne 3 won't see the light of day this year. But I'll hold out hope, for now, that it will. It's been a while since we last visited with Max Payne (the Fall of Max Payne occurred in 2003), and it's also been a few years since Rockstar Vancouver has put out a new game (Bully in 2006). So it’s about time, dammit!

Mod Db’s Editors’ Choice Best Single Player Mod 2010 Announced

Posted: 27 Dec 2010 05:39 PM PST

ModDb’s Mod of The Year contest is the largest celebration of hobbyist, amateur and pro modders on the planet. Fittingly, every year has outpaced the previous in terms of development, and 2010 might have seen the largest crop of mods on record. That makes for choosing the best of the best an increasingly big task. That’s why (as we reported back in November), this year’s MOTY contest came with some changes: The brand new Press Panel and most importantly, the separation of Indies and Mods into separate voting cohorts.

Voting ended on December 14, and since then the results have been pored over with a fine toothed cob, and other mixed metaphors. On December 21, ModDb gave the world an early Christmas Present with the announcement of the Editors’ Choice Single Player Mod of the Year. Without further ado, here’s a run-down of the winners:

MOTY Editors Choice – Best Singleplayer video – 2010 Mod of the Year Awards – Mod DB

The runners up are:

* Human Error.

* C&C 3: The Forgotten. (Our original post on this amazing game.)

* Nightmare House 2.

* Fairy Tale. (Check out our prior coverage. Spoiler: We love it.)

And the winner?

Videos & Audio – Nehrim: At Fate’s Edge Mod for Oblivion – Mod DB

Nehrim: At Fate’s Edge.

You should also check our our picks for the year’s best mods here.

IndieDb’s Players’ Choice Indie Of The Year Announced

Posted: 27 Dec 2010 01:24 PM PST

Similar to its sister competition, ModDb’s Mod of The Year, IndieDb’s Indie of The Year is the largest celebration of hobbyist, amateur and pro indie game makers on the planet. Prior to 2010, Indies were awarded their due in the same contest as mods, but 2010 was a massive year for new Indies, which is why (as we reported back in November), the decision was made to grant Indie Developers a separate contest. As with ModDb’s MOTY, the Indie of The Year contest came with some changes from previous years: The separation of Mods and Indies into two contests; and the brand new Press Panel alongside Player’s Choice, and the replacement of the Editor’s Choice panel with ‘Panel’s Choice.

Voting ended on December 14, and since then the results have been pored over with a fine toothed cob, and other mixed metaphors. On Christmas eve, ModDb and IndieDb gave the world an early Christmas Present with the announcement of the Player’s Choice Mod of the Year, and Indie of the Year.

Without further ado, here’s a run-down of the winners:

IOTY Players Choice – Indie of the Year – Indie DB

For those of you who can’t watch video at the moment, they are:

10) Zombie Driver.
9) Gang Garrison.
Limbo. (Our review.)
7) The Ball.
6) VVVVVV.
5) Dwarf Fortress.
4) Mount And Blade: Warband.
3) Super Meat Boy. (Some of our coverage.)
2) Amnesia: The Dark Descent.
1) (No surprise here), Minecraft. (Some of our coverage).