Reactor Online. Sensors Online. Weapons Online. All Systems Nominal.

Well not really, but close! The beta of MWO (Mechwarrior Online), the handsome child of Pirahna Games, will be available today, Monday, Oct.29th at 12pm PDT to everyone.

We will be granted full access to this open BETA, of the new Free-to-Play sensation that is MWO. The game is still not a complete representation of the final product but is getting very close and is PC-only. If you have been secretly crossing your fingers and hoping they don't screw it up, then I suggest you come take a wee looksy at http://mwomercs.com/

video provided by ferretgr

The Mecca of Mech?

Everything you ever wanted in a Mech game is here, or is coming. We of course have beautiful and vibrant graphics thanks of course to use of  Cryengine 3. Excellent physics and sound; creating believable Mech behemoths, that feel as heavy and huge as the real thing (whistles). There isn't a feeling out there to describe the joy one feels in their heart, as they hear the deep "buddb buddb" of their pulse lasers, and witness glory, as the glowing beams raise their adversaries armor plating past its melting point; in a bright glowing feast for the senses. Or watch the enemy's Mech recoil from the blast of a high velocity ballistic projectile and know that the sucker is experiencing shock and terror.

Part of creating the perfect atmosphere in a Mech game is having them feel like real giants, and having them react to the huge amounts of devastating weaponry we all know would be employed in battles such as this. This, Piranha does extremely well and I have experienced panic and doom first hand as my cockpit shook, alarms sounded, lights flashed, and the sound of armor twisting and tearing rang in my ears! Oh the horror! Rest assured these are only distractions and you are still very much in control of your Mech. They don't take that away from you till it explodes! Its just a matter of remaining calm.

A medium high speed Mecha called a Cicada, keeping watch.

 

Gameplay

Of course that is all pretty pretties, and not the foundation of the gameplay which is where the real meat is of course. We are talking now about Mech customization. To anyone who knows about the Battletech universe, this conjures up certain expectations which must be met! I am not an expert in the field, but have dabbled from time to time into this universe and from what we have seen today I expect you all to be quite satisfied. It unfortunately is not all there yet but will be coming soon, while most of it is there now, including the Endo-steel and Ferro-fibrous armors, XL-engines, Anti-missile systems and of course much more. There are the  original chassis, so far we can only choose inner sphere ones and we are limited to either 2 or 3 types per weight class (light, medium, heavy, and assault) for the time being. Each chassis type does have different variants which masters of customization and/or commanders of the battlefield will need to learn very well. Though the amount of Mechs may seem limited now (well ten Mechs isn't really limited), remember, we are still in beta and more will come later. The only place the customization fails is the design of the editor itself. It is not intuitive, and with some possible beta bugs that may piss ya off from time to time. But when you figure it out, it ain't to bad and that is something they fix regularly. When you go in for the fist time ask a 2o2p guy for some help. If you visit the Mech forum on site here, there is voip service info. Join in the conversation, bunch of Mech vets in there who want to help. There is even an open-beta help channel in our raidcall. Check it out.

Now Pilot customization. Well more like a light rpg style advancement, heightens your ability to pilot certain mechs and their variants. You gain experience for each Mech variant you pilot and can spend that experience to make you more efficient on the battlefield. When you are a master of many variants of a certain Mech you will be allowed to specialize further. It is all fun and rewarding. May i suggest saving up for anything that helps with reducing heat production. Most people who have enjoyed the current wave of FPS's will be used to this type of advancement and those who aren't, don't worry, its very easy!

A medium weight Mech known as a Hunchback, being outfitted with medium lasers in the Mechlab.

 

Team work!

I can't think of a game that I have played, which has seemed more team centric then this. They said that unlike previous installments of Mechwarrior games, this one isn't just an arms race. They have been correct so far. Spotting targets and focusing fire are a dire necessity if you want to walk off the battlefield alive. An evening spent playing with a full team from 2o2p ended in many a match with eight casualties of the opposing team to our none! Your light (recon) mechs spot targets, lure adversaries into traps, or the firing range of your teams LRM Boats (long range missile endowed mecha). Your mediums are excellent Recon hunter/killers, and when properly outfitted have the speed and maneuverability as well as firepower options to really piss of the assaults. Heavys' are great specialists and Assaults are of course monsters that bring great amounts of firepower to bear at anything that crosses their path. When all working together, mixing recons, with hunter/killers, boats with brawlers, and communicating, your team will more likely come out victorious. This isn't a game where one person can dominate the battlefield. No, this game is all about team work. Bring it to bear bitches. Another note is that for now we only have four battlefields to play on. As time goes on we will get more but we are still in beta.

Free to Play is this games revenue model. I know it sounds scary, but while we have been in beta their free to play model has been up and running allowing gamers to buy benefits. You are probably thinking, "God no! What are these awful benefits they will give to adolescent punks who have parents with deep pockets" I am glad you asked. So far the answer has been paint jobs and somewhat faster progression. That means they can pay for reasonable experience point boost or they can pay with real cash for the Mech you are gonna get by earning the cash in game from a couple hours of kicking ass. It hasn't hurt my feelings yet. You will be amazed to see the game they have created with this model, and its open for them to expand upon. So far its been a good experience and I think you will agree.

Last but not least, resources, you are gonna need them. I imagine the MWO beta forums will open up monday as well. But as huge as they are, can be quite a bit daunting on the newcomer. Here at 2o2p we got a bunch of guys wanting to help you out in our Mech Forums. We have a VOIP client set up that we strongly recommend you joining to make MWO easier for you to play as well to meet friends as the games social networking feature is rather lacking. Don't worry about bothering anyone in VOIP, we want to hear you, whether you are just dabbling in mechlab or farting around with the basics. There is even a room set up in raidcall for open beta questions. Check it out. Also here is a youtube tutorial aimed at newcomers coming to the Open Beta. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mmtt6XiC3rA

So there it is, the open beta, a worthy time sink for anyone into large scale mayhem and destruction. http://mwomercs.com/

System Requirements

Minimum System Requirements
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 2.66 GHz or AMD Athlon II X2 245e
GPU: Nvidia GeForce 8800GT or AMD Radeon HD 5650
RAM: 4 GB
OS: Windows Vista 32-bit
DirectX: DX9
HDD Space: 4 GB

Recommended System
CPU: Intel Core i3-2500 or AMD Athlon II X4 650
GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 285 or AMD Radeon HD 5830
RAM: 8 GB
OS: Windows 7 64-bit w/Service Pack 1
DirectX: DX9
HDD Space: 4 GB

Drivers, start your engines! This week is not about quantity, it’s about quality: we have multiple AAA titles dropping this week. Oh, hell yeah! This week the 2Old4Forza clan goes off-track, some folks are gonna get shot, some animals are gonna get shot, we’re gonna learn to dance like a Disney Princess, and we’re gonna grow some awesome beards and dig holes. Let’s proceed, shall we?

 

Xbox 360

Forza Horizon
Most of the 2Old4Forza clan have already played the demo and the opinions are as different as the colors of the Autumn leaves in Colorado. Playground Games has acquired talent from Codemasters, Bizarre Creations(RIP), Black Rock Studios, Criterion, etc., and is bringing Forza fans Forza Horizon as their inaugural offering. Set in the state of Colorado, during the Horizon Festival, Forza Horizon seems to be reaching out for Need For Speed and Midnight Club fans. The open-world aspect is a big break from Turn 10’s “keep it on the track” mantra; getting to the race may prove to be as much a part of the game as the actual track races. Things that are new: traffic, destructible objects in the environment, headlights, accessibility, dirt, and darkness. Things that are not new: Forza physics, customizable car exteriors, upgrades, game modes like virus, drifting, and letting Jones win...we all enjoy that. Things that are missing: tuning and race models...sorry fellas, no GT2s or LMPs in this game. You may not be able to set your rear differential or adjust camber in Forza Horizon, but you can pick it up, for Xbox 360, on October 23.

 

PS3

The Unfinished Swan
Independent studio, Giant Sparrow, delivers a unique puzzle experience to the PS3 this week. Players track a runaway swan to a blank, unfinished kingdom. Players throw wads of paint around to flesh out a maze-like kingdom. Sounds simplistic, but many of the best games are the simplest. The Unfinished Swan is generating some very high scores and may be worth checking out if you own a PS3. You can follow the swan, starting October 23.

The Killzone Trilogy
The Killzone Trilogy is 2old2play’s HD makeover of the week! All 3 games in this shooter trilogy are being offered in a single package for about $40. No mention of added content, but the makeover is in 720p and supports PS3 achievement trophies. Available October 23.

Multiplatform

Medal of Honor: Warfighter
The framework for MOH: Warfighter was written by real vets during real combat situations. Authenticity is the distinguishing driving force in the fourteenth installment of this venerable and popular franchise. Danger Close Games is placing cooperative multiplayer front and center with six different specializations and a focus on combat support and teamwork. Single player story centers around Preacher returning home from his tour of duty, only to get pulled back into the good fight. Shit gets real starting October 23 on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.

Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2013
I went on a hunting trip once, with some friends, but refused to shoot animals for sport. I stayed at the cabin and slept in front of a big fire while the hunters sat in a blind and froze. They called me a bleeding-heart, liberal pussy. There’s an upside to being a liberal pussy: I was able to eat the chili before I peed in it. I have no problem shooting bears and deer in a video game, but at the same time I have no problem shooting the hunting guide and then stalking his family, in a video game. Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2013 may or may not be worth $60, but I bet it’s way better than my chili. Available October 23 for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.

Cabela’s Hunting Expeditions
The game may not be as dangerous as the other Cabela’s game, but it’s still a hunting game. I went hunting with my grandfather once and I shot his dog by accident. Grampa would probably suggest that I practice with Cabela’s Hunting Expedition before I try my hand at hunting again. But Grampa’s dead...and so is his dog. You can hunt this title down starting October 23 on Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, and PC...which stands for perforated canine.

A Game of Dwarves
Zeal Game Studio is bringing strategy fans A Game of Dwarves. Players take control of a Dwarf colony and build, and dig, and grow their beards to impressive lengths. Randomly generated maps will extend the replay of this strategy title, which hits PS3 and PC on October 23.

Just Dance: Disney Party
Just watching the trailer made me want to claw my eyes out. Children will enjoy this title, for about ten minutes. Adults will likely want to be somewhere else, anywhere else, during that ten minutes. I’m not saying don’t buy it, I’m saying don’t make me play it. Remember Grampa’s dog? This kiddie title dances it’s way onto shelves on October 23, for the Wii and Xbox 360.

Only one more week until Forza Horizon hits the shelves! Halloween is right around the corner and the games are filling the store shelves like nobody’s business. There will be no lack of games to play this holiday season. This week features a re-doomed space marine, giants in the land of Spyro, shaken martinis, two ways to dance your way to physical perfection, a guitar game with real guitars, crusaders, road warriors, and a Japanese game that has to be seen to be believed, but may never be understood.

Multiplatform

Doom 3: BFG Edition
Doom 3 is the 2old2play HD makeover game of the week. Released 8 years ago, Doom 3 was known for its tight, dark corridors, evil surprises, and a pervasive sense of tension that could literally exhaust players. In the spirit of remakes and upgrades, id is including the Resurrection of Evil expansion pack, as well as some new levels set in hell, called The Lost Mission. Since modern PCs have more horsepower than they did in 2004, PC players will be able to use their flashlight and gun at the same time, just like console gamers have been doing for eight years. All platforms will notice an upgrade to the player’s speed and our special space marine will be able to carry more ammo, instead of constantly hunting for more ammo. Doom 3: BFG Edition will also include the original Doom, as well as the lovely, and appropriately named, sequel: Doom 2. The mission to hell starts again on October 16, for PC, Xbox 360, and PS3. Still no word on Doom 4.

Skylanders Giants
In the latest Skylanders game, Spyro and crew are joined by super-sized Skylanders in the fight against chaos. The giants possess greater abilities than their smaller counterparts, like chunking boulders and smashing stuff. Available October 21 on every known game platform in the known universe: PS3, Wii, PC, Xbox 360, 3DS, and will be coming soon to the Wii U.


007 Legends
Bobby Kotick’s Evil Empire, er...I mean Activision, are bringing PS3 and Xbox 360 players a brand new James Bond adventure. Featuring six missions, each based on a different Bond film, 007 Legends has the potential to provide the most complete Bond experience ever. That being said, we haven’t seen a decent Bond game since Goldeneye on the N64. Expect to see missions like Moonraker, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Goldfinger, License to Kill, Die Another Day, and Skyfall. I expect you to die, a lot, Mr Bond. PS3 and Xbox 360 players can stir it, or shake it, starting October 16.


Zumba Fitness Core
Dance your way to eternal youth and sexiness in this dance-party game! Tone those abs, firm those glutes, and live forever. Yeah, whatever, I’m gonna finish that pie and plop my fat ass down on the couch and write a list of 500 thing I’d rather do than play this game. Available for the Wii and Xbox 360 starting October 16.



PS3

Mugen Souls
The Kia Soul is given the Mugen treatment in this racing...wait, this is not a driving game. Mugen Souls is a single player RPG. A small galaxy containing seven differently-colored shimmering planets is being threatened by an evil entity/ghost/demon/god/guy with a big sword (take your pick) and it is the players sworn duty to protect these planets and save the day! Japanese developer Compile Heart is making sure that no RPG stereotype gets overlooked. Expect bright colors and cartoon children protagonists with super powers saving the day. This one drops October 16 exclusively for the PS3. Don’t forget to check out the unintentionally hilarious trailer!



Xbox 360

Dance Central 3
The third installment from Harmonix is probably a lot like the other two, with something new thrown in so that you know you’re playing a new game. I’m definitely 2old2play this one, and probably 2old2care. This Xbox 360 Kinect exclusive hits October 16, just in time to practice up for the lamest Halloween party ever.



PC

Rocksmith
This is the game that takes Rock Band and Guitar Hero to the next level. Learn to play real rock songs on a real guitar! Rocksmith adjusts to the player’s personal style and ability and teaches that person to play using an intuitive interactive system. Available October 16 on the PC, guitar not included.


Crusader Kings II: Legacy of Rome
The second expansion pack for this RTS RPG, from developer Paradox, focuses on the Byzantine Empire and the Orthodox Church. Raise armies, appoint church leaders, and kill anyone who believes differently than you in this popular semi-historical RPG. PC players can start killing heretics, via Steam, starting October 16.


Ravaged
Reverb Publishing and 2Dawn Games have teamed up to deliver the Road Warrior type, post-apocalyptic experience that id promised to deliver with Rage. Over 40 weapons and vehicles, from trucks and tanks to helicopters, are featured in the trailer. Competitive multiplayer will be supported and, with a price of only 25 bucks, it might be time to get a Steam account. This PC download drops October 16.

Welcome to the second week of mighty October! Put down the video games and take that special someone to the State Fair. Engage a neighbor in a spirited political debate. Brew a cup of herbal tea and enjoy it outside on the patio. Never mind, those are terrible ideas...let’s play some games, shall we? This week we have a naughty bear, alien invaders, a spectral assassin, dancing, kinecting, and orcs have to deal with the human menace.

Multiplatform

Dishonored
Revenge solves everything. Players assume the role of Corvo Attano, protector to an empress, in this first-person revenge story. The empress gets herself assassinated and Corvo lands on death row for his failure, but it is not Corvo's destiny to die in prison. Set in a plague and vermin infested port city, Corvo has no set path for revenge and the entire city is at his disposal. We have been promised the whole “your actions will have consequences” deal before (cough Bioshock cough) but Dishonored developer, Arkane Studios, is finally offering to weigh a player’s morality with more than a good ending/bad ending. Players will have a variety of weapons, as well as Corvo’s spectral abilities, at their disposal. Make em pay starting October 9 on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.

Naughty Bear: Panic in Paradise
505 Games is offering up this homicidal sequel as a downloadable title. I know what you asking: Jones, is it bigger than the first game? 10-4 amigo: it has more missions, new places to go, and a bigger arsenal. A new combat system is also in place, which includes some new power moves. 505 has also stated the developer will be offering at least 12 DLCs in support of this title, which include weapons, costumes, and something called “ultra kills”. I like the sound of that! PS3 and Xbox 360 players can get their costumed teddy bear killing spree on starting October 10, for about $15.00.


XCOM: Enemy Unknown
Earth is under attack from alien invaders and you are the last defense against eradication. Firaxis has taken the developmental reins from Microprose, who produced the original XCOM in 1994. This strategy game calls for leaders who are adaptable on the battlefield, dedicate resources for maximum effect, and work well under pressure, because time is definitely a factor in XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Highly destructible environments, widely varied enemies, and high-tech weapons and gadgets highlight one of the most highly anticipated sequels of the year. The battle to save earth starts October 9 on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.


Just Dance 4
The world’s number one dancing game is back with 40 new ways to look stupid dancing in front of your tv! Oops, I meant 40 new songs to dance to. Ubisoft is churning out this third (rhymes with turd) sequel on the Wii, Wii U, PS3, and Xbox 360 on October 9. Blah blah blah, here’s the trailer...

 

Xbox 360

Harry Potter Kinect
Warner Bros Interactive and Eurocom are teaming up to break The Curse of the Crappy Potter Games. Players will be able to play as either a cast member or scan their face and join Hogwarts as a custom character. Kinect interactivity promises to deepen the Harry Potter experience with interactive spellcasting, quidditch, and adventuring. Naysayers be warned: this is the studio that brought us Dead Space Extraction. Harry Potter Kinect experience will span all of the Potter material, from the Sorcerer's Stone to the Deathly Hallows, and is available, for Xbox 360 Kinect only, starting October 9.

 

PC

Of Orcs and Men
The war between orcs and humans is over, and the victorious humans are crusading to wipe out the last of the orcs and goblins in this RPG. French developers Cyanide have teamed up with fellow French studio, Spiders, to deliver a (hopefully) fresh experience to an RPG grudge match that has been raging since Gary Gygax sold his first set of ten-sided dice. Set from the perspective of an orc and single goblin companion, your quest is to assassinate the human emperor who ordered the genocide of your respective races. The studios have promised some interesting new features, like being able to throw the goblin companion, and 20-30 hours of gameplay. PC gamers will not have to wait long: this one drops October 11.

Gaige, a Mechromancer and the fifth playable character for Borderlands 2, will be available for download today. This is one week earlier than originally announced and comes as a pleasant surprise for all those Borderlands 2 fanatics out there.

You can check out her Skill Tree via the Borderlands 2 site and plan your points accordingly.

Check out some gameplay footage courtesy of IGN below.

Will you be her best friend forever?

Welcome to fall, mis amigos! The air is cooler, and so are the games. The tension is ratcheting ever so slowly towards the holiday goodness, and we have two AAA titles to take it up a notch. This week features a 30 year feud, a Torchlight clone with the fun parts removed, men in shorts with dribbling balls, shooting and walking at the same time, Pokemon overkill, and a SEGA Saturn HD remake.

This past weekend I spent some time on the MIT campus at the Boston Indie Games Festival. It was an interesting showcase of a wide range of games their site described as "...a celebration of independent game development with emphasis on the New England region. Boston Festival of Indie Games seeks to support and showcase the efforts of independent game developers by providing a free public event that encourages attendees to share and interact with games in various media, including video games, location-based games, tabletop games and interactive fiction. Produced under the non-profit auspices of Be Epic, a Boston-area live action games production group, Boston Festival of Indie Games is focused on creating an intersection between community, academic and independent interests in game play."

The place was packed with a wide range of ages, skill levels and games. I was only able to attend for a few hours so I focused on the video games being showcased. Here are some standouts for me:

Welcome to the first week of autumn. It’s time to put away the tank tops and half shirts, time to trade in the sandals and flip-flops for something warmer, time to say goodbye to your bathing suit and time to get your game face on! I know that most of us are trying to find the words to express our disappointment for the new iPhone, but let’s not dwell on that because we have games to buy. This week features a dead rabbit, kung-fu pandas, grown men in shorts kicking a checkered ball, a scantily-clad fighting game, and an 80’s naval battle game reboot.

PC

World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria - So you played out the main quests, toppled the Lich King, and survived the Cataclysm, what’s next in World of Warcraft? Kung-Fu pandas, that’s what! Blizzard is marooning players on Panda Bear Island, insuring that the age-old struggle of man vs orc becomes a three-way. This add-on should have great appeal in South Korea (who, by the way, has way better internet speed than you) but will likely just give the rest of us another reason to hate panda bears. Available for the PC starting September 25th.

Carrier Command: Gaea Mission - Have you ever been swept over by a wave of nostalgia for an old game that you played back in the day and asked yourself “Self, wouldn’t it be great to play a remake of that old classic favorite of mine today?” If that game was Carrier Command, then the Gods of Old School Remakes are smiling on you, friend. Carrier Command: Gaea Mission gives warmongering micromanagers a way to kill two birds with one stone! The game gives players complete control over battlefield and individual units in a quest to control the seas and defeat the enemy’s navy and carrier. Take control of the PC seas starting September 27th.

Multi Platform

FIFA 13 - The vultures at EA deliver their third sports game in as many weeks. This weeks target: American 3rd graders and the rest of the soccer-loving world. FIFA 13 promises better ball control during possession, improved dribbling, AI, and physical play. Engage yourself in a riveting battle for ball possession, create your own custom team, and do your very best to stay awake during the most advanced and lifelike soccer game ever made! This gem hits the Xbox 360 and PS3 on September 25th in the US, and 3 days later in the UK, on September 28th.

Dead or Alive 5 - Tecmo and Team Ninja deliver on the newest generation of Dead or Alive this week. Interactive and exotic environments that cater to a character’s strength are a nice, new touch added to this historically rock-solid fighting franchise. Team Ninja claims deeper immersion and bonding with fighters with little extras, such as trickling sweat, and plenty of ways to master the fighting techniques, power blows and special moves of their respective fighters. All that and super skimpy outfits make Dead or Alive 5 the most highly anticipated fighting game of the week. The beat downs start September 25th on Xbox 360 and PS3 consoles.

Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit - Ash is everything a rabbit should be, a skeletal Prince of Hell with a fetish for his rubber ducky, a love for firearms and the desire to use them. Compromising pics of Ash and his rubber ducky surface, making Ash into the laughing stock of the underworld. In Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit it will be the players joyful duty to kill anyone on his road to revenge, either by vehicle or gun. Hell Yeah! is chock full of challenging side-scroller action, guns, jetpack and razorblade unicycles of death, poop demons (not a typo), and all the animated violence one would expect from the rubber ducky-raping Prince of Hell. Arkedo Studios and Sega bring this downloadable title to life, for about $15, on September 25th on PS3, September 26th on XBL, and October 2nd on PC. Give it hell, amigo.

The Testament of Sherlock Holmes - After the release of the last great detective game, LA Noire, I bet a lot of folks are itching to play Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s super sleuth, Sherlock Holmes.The Testament of Sherlock Holmes is actually the sixth game in the series and gives players the opportunity to stomp around Victorian London to contaminate crime scenes, solve mysteries and save the day. Developer Frogwares dropped this one earlier than anticipated, with a considerable price drop ($39.99) compared to a AAA title. Frogwares also increased the budget for this game and it looks incredible, so let’s not jump to any conclusions. That would be poor form, dear Watson. This sleuthy adventure arrives on the PC, Xbox 360, and PS3 September 25th.

For those of us waiting for the next great fighting game from Ed Boon, the end is now in sight. Warner Bros and DC Comics recently announced that Injustice: Gods Among Us will arrive at stores in April 2013 for the PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles.

Injustice: Gods Among Us is the newest fighting game from NetherRealm Studios, creators of Mortal Kombat, and features a host of DC heroes and villains, like Harley Quinn, Catwoman, Batman, Superman, Solomon Grundy, The Flash, and many more.

Warner Bros brought us a gameplay trailer and some new images straight from the floor of the Tokyo Game Show.

This game looks better every time we get an update, and we still expect to see a few new characters added to the roster before Injustice: Gods Among Us hits the store shelves. Sorry Aquaman fans...there’s still no sign of the Prince of Atlantis.

Summer couldn’t keep us down forever. We all knew it would end sometime, and then the games would drop weekly like manna from heaven. Step outside and take a breath of fresh autumn air, my fellow gamer. It may be a very long time until you see the sun again. The game releases get real starting...now! This week we have a dungeon crawler, a pair of classic collections, a new F1 racer, and the highly anticipated sequel to Borderlands.

Multi-Platform

Borderlands 2 - I’ve seen a lot of folks on my friends list playing the original Borderlands this week. Been practicing for Borderlands 2? I don’t blame you, my friend. Gearbox Software took all the best things about the original and made it better. Game Informer already rated this one a 9.75 while gushing that Borderlands 2 “stands as a prime example of how to knock a sequel out of the park.”  PC, PS3, and XBox 360 players can get their four player co-op on starting September 18th.

 

F1: 2012 - The car-loving codemonkeys from Birmingham, Codemasters, deliver on the F1 experience that they should have delivered in the first game. Updated AI, improved car fragility, accessibility without compromising difficulty, and the ability to circumvent the enduro aspect of the original are just a few of the tweaks in F1:2012. This one won’t take a decade to finish. F1:2012 hits American shelves on September 18th for the PC, PS3, and XBox 360. Euro racers get it 3 days later on September 21st.

Street Fighter 25th Anniversary Collector’s Set - There are some folks out there, most of whom have unpronounceable names, who claim that Street Fighter is superior to Mortal Kombat. If you are one of these folks, this is your week to prove your undying love to Capcom’s definitive fighting series by laying down $150 for the Street Fighter 25th Anniversary Collector’s Set.

The set includes:

Four “critically acclaimed” Street Fighter games. Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, Street Fighter III 3rd Strike Online Edition, Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition with all costume DLC, and Street Fighter X Tekken including all character and Swap Costume DLC.

A two-disc Blu-Ray set that includes a documentary highlighting the profound influence of Capcom’s iconic fighting game series. The collection of videos also includes Street Fighter IV, Super Street Fighter IV Anime movie, every single episode of the Street Fighter animated series, and Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie.

A specially commissioned light-up and detailed collectable Ryu statue. The statue is a full eight inches tall and features Ryu in mid-Shoryuken, with flames lit from below. Won’t that look great on the shelf...in your mom’s basement?

An eleven-disc collection of 25 years of Street Fighter game music. It also includes remixes and fan-created tribute tunes, and doubles as a repellant for members of the opposite sex.

A 64-page hardcover art book full of professional and fan art, dedicated to the glory of Street Fighter.

A full-size replica of Ryu’s belt. Created to regulation specs, this is the belt that holds up Ryu’s pants in every game, and includes his classic "Fūrinkazan" in kanji!

A numbered certificate of authenticity, so folks know that you’re the real deal.

For some hilarious testimonials and pictures of people who take this game way too seriously, as well as information on a global Street Fighter tournament, be sure and check out streetfighter25.com. Just remember that Scorpion and Sub-Zero never asked you for $150. Available on the PS3 and XBox 360 starting September 18th.

 

Wii

Kirby’s Dream Collection Special Edition - Nintendo celebrates 20 years of Kirby by releasing a six game collection, complete with booklet and a CD soundtrack, on the Wii for September. All six classic Kirby games are represented, and some are updated to include multiplayer modes and new challenge stages. The CD soundtrack has all 45 of your favorite Kirby tunes. The booklet is a 45 page monster crammed full of pictures, history, and everything you never wanted to know about Kirby. Available September 16th for Wii.

PC

Torchlight II - The sequel to the hit dungeon crawler, Torchlight II takes players beyond the town of Torchlight and introduces new character classes, dungeons, and skill trees. Runic Games also added online multiplayer co-op via a free peer-to-peer network service so you don’t have to go it alone this time around. Available for about $20, on the PC, starting September 20th.