Continue reading Zombies mosey on into Red Dead Redemption's 'Undead Nightmare' trailer

Zombies mosey on into Red Dead Redemption's 'Undead Nightmare' trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sales will dictate if From Dust gets multiplayer, level editor originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Assassin's Creed Facebook game arrives Oct. 1, interacts with Brotherhood [update: live now] originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 12:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World DLC

Scott Pilgrim DLC delivers new character, modes in November originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The critically acclaimed hybrid role-playing game on the Nintendo DS gets an HD makeover on consoles.

Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes came out late last year on the Nintendo DS, receiving excellent reviews all around. The game was a combination of familiar role-playing elements mixed with some strategy and coated with the tried-and-true match-three style gameplay. The result was an incredibly addictive hybrid portable game, wrapped in a delightful package as part of the Heroes of Might and Magic series. At Ubisoft's Digital Day event, we learned that developer Capybara has decided to take its game to Xbox Live Arcade as well as the PlayStation Network to take advantage of online (and offline) play.

The game is not just a straight port from the DS version. It keeps the major elements intact, but the art has been completely redone, hand-animated from scratch to give it a fresh new look for HD consoles. Everything from the units and interface to the maps has been redone, and more attention was paid to the multiplayer mode. The DS game had a multiplayer component, but lead writer Dan Vader said that most people likely didn't have the opportunity to play the game with others. He added that now that the game is making its way online, it gives people the perfect opportunity to play with friends online or offline.

For the competitive types, leaderboards and ranking have been added as well. The developers scoured the forums for fan feedback, so some tweaks have been made to enhance the overall experience. For example, underpowered units that no one really used have been given new abilities, and the more powerful ones have received a bit of a downgrade for gameplay balance.

The main story lets you play as one of the five young heroes, who each have their own campaign, but their stories will cross paths with the others at some point. The core of the game is the battle, which is a turned-based system where players are given three moves each. Instead of lining up jewels like in Puzzle Quest, you're lining up units--horizontally to build a wall or vertically to attack. The screen is split in two, so your opponent is across the way. You can move only the units that are in the back of your army. Through careful planning, by matching multiple units at once, you'll gain a turn back for each chain. You can also delete units, which takes up a turn, but they wind up in your reinforcement pool and can be called back when the time is right. Most of your units will take up one grid, but the more powerful elite and champion units will take up more, so it's a matter of positioning them properly and using their abilities to your advantage.

The gameplay can get quite deep, but the general premise of a fight is to line up your units to build walls and attack, until you deplete the health of your opponent. Your units will level as you go, and you can mix and match the kinds of units you want to suit your own play style. Only the multiplayer portion of the game was shown at the event, so there could be other new additions that we haven't seen yet. But from what was shown, the multiplayer mode looks to provide quite a bit of replay value once you've completed the campaign. Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes keeps the anime-like art style from the previous game, but instead of the classic sprites, individual characters on the battlefield are now much more detailed and polished.

For more details on the DS game, see our review here. Otherwise, look for the game when it's released on XBLA and PSN sometime in the first quarter of 2011.

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We play with the powers of light and dark in this mesmerizing 2D platformer.

Outland initially grabbed our attention at PAX, where we saw a demo of Housemarque's artistic upcoming puzzle platformer, which uses a light-dark gameplay mechanic similar to Ikaruga. A similar demo was present at Ubisoft's Digital Day event, where we were able to go hands-on and play through the jungle level that was shown at PAX. At this point, it feels more like an action platformer than a puzzle game, but your critical thinking skills will be put to the test along with your catlike reflexes.

We glossed over the initial cutscene and story, but the general idea is that you play as someone who has strange visions and you set off to discover the meaning behind them. As you progress through the dreamlike levels, large hieroglyphics provide a hint at what's coming next--in our case, a giant boss fight--but we were told that the arcane drawings also help explain the world's mysteries.

Your character is a dark silhouette, accented by scarves that are either light blue or fiery red. This indicates what kind of power you're aligned with; blue for light and red for dark. With a push of the right bumper, you can easily and quickly switch between the two, depending on the circumstances. Light enemies, which include giant spiders and other buglike creatures with similar blue accents, can only be destroyed if you're currently handling the dark power. You'll have to constantly look ahead to see what you're up against and switch quickly, especially when a never-ending wave of red and blue beams are firing at you.

Navigating through the level can involve some backtracking and puzzle-solving. Certain platforms will only move when your powers are matched up, or they'll disappear when you're not. Your character is nimble and can gracefully leap over spiked-filled chasms. The A button is used to jump, the X button acts as your sword, and the B button replenishes a heart in your health meter once you've gathered enough energy.

After making our way through the jungle-themed level, we quickly walked through an area that looked like a dungeon or some kind of underground network. The cooler color tones here were a contrast to the warmer hues of the previous level. We eventually made it to our first boss battle, a hulking stone creature that would pound the ground with its massive stone arm, sending a wave of fire in our direction. The fight came in several phases and became more and more chaotic. Not only are you dodging the creature's attacks, but you'll also have to fend off bugs, as well as dodge a shower of red and blue pellets all the while trying to focus on your goal of slashing away at the boss's head. It certainly isn't easy, but after a few tries, you'll understand the pattern; then, it's a matter of being patient and quick.

We're curious to see what other levels and boss battles are in store, as Outland looks to provide a solid challenge. Look for the game sometime in 2011 on Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network.

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DmC: Devil May Cry to utilize Unreal Engine originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ubisoft polishes up a fan favorite action game for the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade.

Ubisoft had a nice little surprise for fans of Beyond Good and Evil when it unveiled an HD upgraded version of it at a recent press event. The game, developed by Michel Ancel…s Montpellier studio, was originally released in 2003 for the GameCube, PC, PlayStation 2, and Xbox and garnered attention for its unique gameplay and colorful characters. Ancel…s studio is working in conjunction with Ubisoft Shanghai, who is handling the upgrade, to polish up the beloved title and toss in some modest extras.

The original Beyond Good and Evil was a stylish, unique title when it hit stores in the fall of 2003. The game cast you in the role of Jade--a reporter on the planet Hillys--who was tapped to investigate the military dictatorship that was allegedly defending the planet from an invasion from the alien DomZ. The game featured an eye-catching art style and gameplay that mixed stealth, action, puzzle-solving, and photography into a surprisingly cohesive and fun package.

The upcoming HD version of the game will offer a cosmetic upgrade to the original visuals and bring them up to 1080p. There will also be improved audio. In addition, you can expect the standard inclusion of achievements and trophies, as well as an all-new leaderboards feature. While there wasn…t much information on just how the leaderboard feature is going to play out, the work-in-progress Xbox 360 demo on display at the event featured a handful of levels to showcase the visual upgrades. The five levels on display let us explore the ancient mine, pedestrian district, east district, Alpha Section HQ, and main shaft areas. The selection of areas alternated between letting us control Jade by herself or in conjunction with her right hand pigman Pey…j to explore levels, as well as pilot her hovercraft vehicle. The demos handled pretty well, with the camera being a little tricky in spots--just like the original game. As far as the visuals go, the game is starting to look nice and shiny. The game…s art style seems to be scaling up well.

From the look of things, Beyond Good and Evil HD will be a solid upgrade of the fan favorite game. The promise of high-definition visuals, improved audio, and the chance to earn some achievements or trophies should please fans. We…re curious to see just how the leaderboard feature is going to work, although we expect it to be tied to how fast you can get through an area or your picture-taking skills. We'll also be interested to see if there are any ties to the next installment in the series. We know, it…s doubtful, but we can dream. Most importantly, the upcoming digital release of the game gives it a second chance to find a bigger audience. If you never had the chance to play Beyond Good and Evil, you should definitely keep an eye out for the game when it is released next year. At the moment, there…s no word on an exact release date or pricing. Look for more on the game in the coming months.

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Gallery: NASCAR The Game 2011

Activision and Eutechnyx making NASCAR The Game 2011 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.