Crackdown 2 out for release this year!

Posted by John as 2d Shooter

Crackdown, a sequel to 2007’s stellar sandbox action game is out for release this year!

Estimated release date: June 6, 2010

During the early years of Xbox 360, Crackdown was one of the lesser-known games. It garnered more attention for the included invite to the Halo 3 multiplayer beta than for the game itself.

That’s very unfortunate given that the game was very fun that shows what you can do. The game combines an open-world action formula with a super-addictive progression system that has you seeking out agility orbs up and down buildings to become the ultimate powerful force of destruction. The sequel, developed by Ruffian Games, is due out for release this year,

The Microsoft’s X10 preview event unveiled bits and pieces of details. The demo was divided into two distinct halves. The first showed how some of the new story missions will work, while the second was of the free-form sandbox variety, showing what sort of trouble you can get up to when you cast aside any preconceptions that you’re a force for the greater good. The story mission involved a relatively low-level agent (that is for those who picked up too many of those agility orbs) attempting to infiltrate the stronghold of a group called The Cell. This faction is a sort of militia made up of people who are angry at the Agency and blame them for the zombie freak outbreak that has plagued the city. With the city totally cleaned of gangs after your work in the first game, these two groups are your only enemies in the sequel.

The mission involved regaining a piece of valuable technology that they had stolen from the Agency. To do this, you have to gain entrance to a Cell. It all happen in a shipping yard filled with steel crates and hinted at a couple of the new features you can find in story missions. The first one is the new goal structure that has you going through multiple objectives and sub-objectives. There’s more variety to these objectives. You’d find some storytelling during the missions as well. Another new feature is the mid-mission supply crates. These crates are meant to be a stock container of weapons and vehicles without having to run back to the Agency building.

After the presentation of the game’s mission, the demo moved on to type of activities you can pursue when you take things at your own pace. Crackdown 2 offers a day-night cycle that dramatically changes the world when darkness hits. The zombies take over the city at night thus turning the streets into an ocean of shambling monsters. Ruffian producer James Cope, who was manning the controller for the demo, made it a point to hop into a car and quite simply plow through this wave of freaks. They bounced off the front fender like pinballs. As the game progresses, you will eventually reach the freaks’ underground lairs and fight them their own turf, where you might find some more-powerful enemies. As an example, Microsoft Game Studios lead designer John Noonan hinted at the idea of former superpower agents becoming infected. It’s one thing scarier than a guy who can climb skyscrapers but scarier if it’s a guy who can climb skyscrapers and has a thirst of human flesh.

After violating every traffic rule known to man, the demo moved on to some high-flying antics. One of the new pieces of equipment available when you progress to a fairly high level is the wing suit. This beauty effectively turns you into a flying squirrel when you leap from a tall building. You can glide, swoop, or simply dive-bomb straight to the earth below. Different-colored contrails come off your limbs to denote whether you’re delaying or accelerating the effects of gravity. As in the first game, you can strike the ground with a devastating thud and clear out a large radius of enemies.

The team also managed to get their hands on the new agency helicopter, which looks like an average helicopter until you stop to realize that, like the rest of the agency vehicles, its look and function will drastically improve as your driving level ranks up. We can’t wait to see what else Crackdown 2 will offer in terms of the leveling up and agility orb system.

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Holiday buyer’s guide for 2009

Posted by John as Shmups

We can’t wait for Christmas to roll in soon! That’s why we found this buyer’s guide on Xbox 360 games that you love.

Thanks to IGN for this great find.

Technorati Tags: 2d Shooter, christmas gift ideas, holiday buyer's guide 2009, video games, xbox 360

0 Day Attack on Earth – A Shooter from Square Enix

Posted by John as 2d Shooter

Square Enix oddly named the upcoming XBLA shooter “0 Day Attack on Earth”. It is one of those Xbox Live Arcade games where players can shoot and reflect lasers at rectangular prisms yielding them into a bloody mess.

Microsoft recently held a press conference in Japan showing the growing local support for its Xbox 360 and Xbox Live Arcade service. It is quite a surprise to know that Square Enix , who came away with the most interesting developments of the show, had nothing to do with Final Fantasy or RPGs in general. As it was once dubbed as Project Cube, the minimalist effect of the game makes it interesting to play.  Sad to say, we will have to wait for the sequel of Einhander.

Watch a clip of Square Enix here.

Technorati Tags: 0 day attack on earth, 2d Shooter, shmup, square enix, xbla, xbox 360