GZ News: LA Noire, Portal 2 Reviews, Twisted Metal Preview, GZ Homefront Mini-Review, and More.

Well it has indeed been too long since my last post here. I have plenty to post about though. Lots of good stuff out there in Gamedom of late and while I don't have my head buried deep in the games that would consume most gaming journalists I do keep up with what's out there and from what I have seen the gaming market just picked up a bit with the release of Portal 2, Mortal Kombat, and the upcoming LA Noire in May, the latter of which I am clamoring to get my hands on. There is also a great deal of hype surrounding Battlefield 3 and a few other titles that launch later this year and are providing many drool inducing trailers for the masses. Without further adeiu lets dive into some of the news that I have been tagging.

Da' News

Portal 2 has been released and reviewed many times over. It has made all the gamers and critics swoon with 9's and 10's across the board. I am not surprised by this. The first Portal was an instant classic and more of the same with new puzzles, co-op, and Valve's twisted humor makes for another $ maker. I haven't gone out of my way to get any time with it. Why? Well it's just not in my cycle of gaming right now and that's as real as I can put it. I knew it would be a great game that I will eventually want to play, but all the hype and in-depth previews kinda spoiled me and I feel like I have already played this game in my head.

L.A. Noire (screen above) on the other hand sounds just the kind of game I been waiting for. Substance, style, depth, amazing graphics, Rockstar Studios' incredible attention to detail, and real actors doing real performances. Yes this one is going to garner some of my attention...nay ALOT of my attention. I read a preview and it just got me even more pumped to play it. I elected to go with the PS3 version on my pre-order for this and for right now that's what I am sticking with. PS3 exclusive content is rumored and it's a single player game. That's why I can't think of any reason to have it on my Xbox 360. Comments? Well check out this latest trailer while you type.



Do you remember playing Twisted Metal on Playstation back in the day? Oh man I do. That game kept me and my friends busy on rainy summer days during high-school. Screw Mario-Kart lets cause mayhem! Below is a pic from the latest Twisted Metal that's in development. David Jaffe, the creator, is totally keeping that old school feel and look while simultaneously bringing the classic title into the latest fold of technology and such. Joystiq has a great preview here. Release date is set for October 4th.

The last bit of game news I would like to mention is Battlefield 3. Oh yes this one is going to find a home on my console this year. I really like what EA and DICE are doing with this title and while it may end up being more of the same old FPS modern combat that we are all use to by now it has never looked better than this and that's enough for my pre-order! Get schooled on this bad boy by watching the Full 12-minute Fault-Line trailer below. BOOM!



GZ Mini-Review

Homefront: Xbox 360 version
$59.99
GZ Rating 7.0 - Good

Ok so I was really excited to get this title in my hands last month. After a solid 17+ hours in online and 5 hours in campaign I decided it was time to pony up the opinion to my readers. Bottom line, if you are tired of the other modern shooter in your disc tray and want a great online experience with a bit of CoD and Battlefield 2 meshed together then Homefront will keep you happy until the holiday season. It has a surprising amount of customization and the vehicles and drones are all alot of fun to use. All of the weapons feel right but the damage could be improved slightly. In fact a 'Hardcore' mode on this title would be a fantastic addition. Maybe in some DLC. The single-player was just ok. It was a bit difficult, but nothing taxing. In fact, don't buy it for anything but online play because Homefront's signature game mode called Ground Control is just addicting and fun. If you were on the fence, I hope this little review helped.

Cool Shiznit

This is all just a bunch of stuff I found that I had to share because its so awesome. Enjoy!

The live-action Mortal Kombay web series has two episodes out now. 
The Ghost Recon: Future Soldier dev team went to the gun range! That's progress right?

The cool stuff you can do in Just Cause 2. I should pick this one up in a bargain bin one day.


A great vid of the game deaths we all remember from the 8-bit days.


Finally, a new kind of Super Mario Bros. movie. Funny!



Oh and check out Dead Frontier for free online web-based zombie slaying with an RPG feel. :)

Now Playing: Homefront (Multi-Player)

I been online with Homefront for the past two weeks since the game's release and now that the dedicated servers and what not have been ramped up to meet demand I can honestly say that I like this game as much as I liked CoD: Black Ops and possibly even more so. I have only gotten to level 28 so far in my gaming so I have more goodies to unlock still and pass judgement on. Not to mention, there is a title update on the way for Xbox360 which aims to fix some glaring issues. The game modes are insanely fun and keeps things interesting without feeling like your repeating the same task over and over. It's just enough variation to not be stale (so far).

Overall I am having a blast with it and it has a TON of potential for DLC down the road. If you are a CoD player or Battlefield player this title will certainly be worth a spin. Game renters be warned: THQ's online pass code is in effect on this one. So unless you are ok with only getting to level 5 in MP it might be time to trade in some old games and put some cash down to buy this one.

A million people can't be wrong. Oh and this just in...DLC is on the way and Homefront 2 is in the planning stages. w00t!

GZ News: Homefront Midnight Release, LA Noire, Alice Returns, and more.

Got your copy of Homefront on Pre-Order? I do. Select Gamestop locations around the country will be doing midnight releases and I will be at my local store picking up my copy tonight. The pre-order bonus they have for this game is actually pretty good for us multi-player freaks. We get a couple of advanced unlocks like the SCAR-L assault rifle, and an Air Recon Drone. Nice.

With gas prices going up this will give me a reason to stay home and save my hard-earned cash for other things. It's funny how that statement sort of parallels the background story in Homefront where gas prices skyrocket and contribute to the US economic meltdown. In fact a few websites that normally aren't known for throwing in their two cents when it comes to worldly affairs have breached that silence and spoke out on the Homefront story and its real world possibilities. Unanimously they all agree that, while being highly unlikely, the events are Homefront are plausible. This kind of drama and controversial approach is more common these days in our mature gaming world.

The trailer for Dead Island is one example of how mature games and modern developers are encroaching on uncomfortable territory (a young girl turns zombie and dies). Rewind 10 years ago and you would see what I mean. A stark difference.

Da News

Here is the launch trailer for Homefront releasing tomorrow 3/15


Joystiq was impressed with the Single-player preview they got. Look for full reviews from the major sites tomrrow. I will post here.

LA Noire is the next game on my list to acquire this year. Release date is 5/17/11. I am a huge Rockstar fan and love the games they put out (mostly). This one is looking stellar and quite frankly I could use a break from all of the FPS games out there. There are a ton of videos out there for you to watch, but the one that I find most impressive is the one below that details the investigations themselves and really lets that new motionscan technology shine. Check it out. Are you getting LA Noire? What do you think about it?



A while back I did a short blog post on the new Alice: Madness Returns game that is in development. American Mcgee is back in the saddle and the press got a fresh look at the latest build. I don't why this game intrigues me but it does. I think the imagery is what shocks my mind.

Alice Returns Dtoid Preview here

Probably the 3rd game I will acquire later this year is Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. A new villain for the game was revealed check the video below.



Every play Serious Sam? I did. Played the original and loved it. Never played the sequel, but now they are developing Serious Sam 3. Some screens and stuff here.

Saints Row 3 was officially announced on March 3rd and developer Volition is changing things up this time around and putting in drop-in/drop-out full campaign co-op. Wikipedia (I know) actually has a great write up on it here. I just hope they keep the insurance fraud mini-game in there!

Two last tidbits of fun stuff....

Ever see Super Mario Bros. updated with sound effects from today? Watch.



Have you watched "The King of Kong: A fistful of quarters" documentary? If not I recommend you rent it and give it a whirl. For those that have watched, you would be interested to know that Billy Mitchell ponied up the dough and built an arcade at Orlando Airport. He is yet to be seen there. Ha!

That's it peeps! Keep gaming.

New Homefront Trailer, Release Date, and more

Yeah I'm ready for the resistance. Bring it. Homefront is my most anticipated game right now. A lot of gamers are just glazing over it and not paying much attention or so they seem. I personally believe this game is getting alot more indirect attention from gamers who are just wondering how bad it will be while secretly hoping it kicks ass. I for one think this will be a fantastic game. FYI Homefront was pushed back to a March 15th release date. Why? Probably because a new Pokemon game releases the same day. Go figure.

Want to know more about Homefront's Battle Commander system? How about Battle Points? Want all the in-depth coverage? There is no other place besides http://community.homefront-game.com/home to go. GZ will always cover Homefront, but for a day's worth of news and videos check that link out.

Lastly, I bought and read the Homefront novel "The Voice of Freedom" which was a very enjoyable read. It paints a pretty bleak and believable picture of a dilapidated America and then keeps you turning pages to see what the main character is up against next. Great character development and a scary background of events. If you like fiction based in reality (Tom Clancy novels) you will like this one. Pick it up @ Amazon or Barnes & Noble for $10.

Homefront Multi-player Previews and Opinion

Remember last week I mentioned in my post that some new Homefront previews and such were coming? Well today I re-post it to you my loyal readers and give you my take on it. I also want to touch on the whole opinion piece of Homefront stemming from its story line and in-game world.

First thing is first. Two, count 'em, two videos showing off Homefront's multi-player gameplay and new features. My thoughts after the jump.

Ok so what did you think of the two videos? At first glance you might think this was a video of CoD or BF2. I must admit that I was thinking the same thing. Then the guy starts showing off all of this cool stuff like enemy players getting bounties placed on their head and the cool class/loadout screen which can be customized in the middle of a match. The two features introduced in the video are the Battle Commander system, which gives you missions on the fly (marking enemies) based on how the match is going, and the Battle Points system that is just flat out awesome. While the developers haven't re-invented the wheel here it seems, at least on the surface, that they have successfully combined all the aspects of what made other games great and added their own flair to it which looks to be adding up to ALOT of fun. After a few minutes of footage I saw what makes Homefront different and all-together awesome. I will post my full impressions once I have a copy in my hands. These devs have some huge competition that this game will be released in the shadow of, but the gaming landscape is ripe for a show stealer. This could be it people. Stay tuned and pick up your copy come March 8th. 

Now for the opinion piece of the post. First I want to reference IGN's coverage from 1/21 as my inspiration to post these next few lines. After reading the IGN piece, the comments, and some other articles from last week I have to say that the controversy is building in the media over Homefront's premise and chosen background for the story. The authors of the articles and a lot of readers are "concerned" about the game's message. They are worried that the message will be "America is awesome" or that it will fan the fires of American patriotism. There is also the North Korea card getting played that some take offense to, and not to mention the supposed 'improbability' of America being invaded. 

Opinion? 

I think they are all stupid. Who are they kidding? Worrying about a game's message of patriotism? Really? What kind of audience do you think you are catering too? The men and women playing this game are not going to all of a sudden start going bat-shit insane toting American flags on their body and treat foreigners with extreme prejudice because of the events in Homefront. Games are forms of art in my mind. Much like a movie or book. All forms of art are at their greatest when they make people begin to question the things they represent. Good or bad, happy or sad. Take it or leave it, admire it or hate it. That's art.

That being said....Homefront's singleplayer mode is meant to draw the emotions out of you. What would you do in that situation? You think it is improbable or unlikely that America would be invaded, which gives you an air of ignorance, yet you think it is OK to portray a poorer country in this light? Get over yourself. 

OK I said my piece. I expect that once the mainstream media gets a hold of this, and they will, the controversy will just get bigger. Which should translate to more sales and more n00bs to blast online! Comments welcome!

Game News & Media Morsels

So Black Ops on Xbox360 is currently where I spend my gaming time. It won't hold my attention for too much longer though. Why? Well that's easy. On March 8, 2011 THQ will release the new FPS game Homefront for 360/PS3/PC. I will be getting a copy for my 360. This game isn't in the limelight as much as a CoD game would be or even Battlefield for that matter, but it caught my attention mainly for the reasons outlined in the video below. I think the single-player campaign is going to be great. I will be posting my thoughts on this Friday's coverage by IGN on the multi-player in Homefront. Here is the vid.



Ok so for all of you CoD junkies out there who are counting down to the first map pack release on Feb 1st (360 only) here is Treyarch's sneak peak of what to expect on the multi-player maps.



Zip lines! Yikes! Should be loads of fun for all. Speaking of fun have you seen the commercial dubbed "Your Mom Hates Dead Space 2" yet? No? Well feast your eyes on the vid below. GREAT marketing gimmick. Give EA kudos on that idea.



I love the gore and the scares. Bring it. Alright so on to the next tasty morsel. Last summer a video teaser of a gritty remake of the movie Mortal Kombat was released on YouTube. It starred movie actor Michael Jai-White of Spawn, Dark Knight, and Sucker Punch fame playing Jax as a detective. Some of you may have seen this already, but I just watched it for the first time ever and I was highly entertained by it. I can't wait for the webisodes. Any MK fan old & new should watch this. Comment below.



All of us want better control right? Those guys on the MLG circuit make it look so easy. I am constantly running into uber-CoD players when casually gaming at night. Maybe if I had one of these I could at least stay alive longer right? Maybe? One point for dialing in your resistance on the analog sticks, two points taken away for not being wireless. Click the pic. The jury is out on this one.

Ok so in the lighter side of the news, I wanted to share this fan-friggin-tastic video of a Nintendo inspired Scion xB complete with game console and a projector built into the headlight. I want one.



Lastly, this dope decided it would be cool to tunnel into a game stop after hours and make off with some loot. He was wrong....it is hilarious! I laughed out loud! See ya next time!

Homefront - New FPS That Will Scare the $#1t Out of You

If you have not yet heard of the upcoming shooter Homefront then today you should take a moment and familiarize yourself with it. Not only is it a totally rad looking war game with aspects and features that far surpass anything in the Call of Duty series and rivals the Battlefield series, it is also a scary view of a future United States that hits you right in the gut. The developers worked with the guy who penned the story for Red Dawn and Apocalypse Now among other credits. Just watching the trailer below about how they came up with the idea for Homefront is an eye opener.



After watching that you might realize not only did they give this game a lot of thought and real-world credibility. It's a reality that can scare the crap out of any red-blooded American. So beyond that this game looks fantastic. It's moved to the top of my list. Due out in March 2011. Look for more info as we get closer to the release date. Until then, enjoy these other videos.