The word “rapture” has several connotations. Its most popular usage is to describe those who are wrapped up in a state of bliss or overwhelming ecstasy. To devout Christians, it’s the second coming of Christ. To the thriving community of gamers who eagerly devoured the critically acclaimed (and smash commercial hit) BioShock, the word’s meaning is absolutely concrete. “Rapture” is synonymous with the bizarre yet profound adventure that continues to push the bounds of what gaming can accomplish; Andrew Ryan’s obliterated utopia — the fully realized dream of one man who believed in the power of the power of the self. Rapture. The name sends chills down one’s spine.

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At last year’s E3 there was one game that stood out and completely blew me away and it was from Disney Interactive Studios. Split/Second, the action racing game from Black Rock Studios is bringing us a racing game that we’ve never seen before. From the creators of Pure, Split/Second was awarded Best Racing Game  of E3 2009 from many critics.

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Everyone knows the old saying – “Two heads are better than one.”  For the most part, it’s true.  Get more people thinking about something, and everyone benefits – you get more and different opinions that might help you shape the way you think about… well, anything.  It’s with this mindset that we go into our Two Brains review, where Molotov Cupcake and The Herp have had a meeting of the minds to discuss Bayonetta for the both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

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The release of 2K Games’ surreal yet eerily grounded shooter BioShock 2 has set the hearts of impassioned gamers aflame. In an age where sequels rule the roost and new IPs are as rare as Arcadian wine, so much faith is placed upon the shoulders of games to which the torch has been passed. Will BioShock 2 recapture the same kind of trepidation and otherworldly wonder that washed over gamers within seconds of meeting a Big Daddy? And what of the harrowing climax, where we learned that a simple five-iron could be the key to unlocking Rapture-sized secrets? These are all questions that can only be answered with the completion of the game.

For those of you who have yet to live through the madness of Andrew Ryan’s utopia, there’s the following guide designed to get you up to speed. Straight from the city’s defunct welcoming committee themselves, I give to you A Newcomer’s Guide to Rapture.

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SouthPeak Games is happy to announce that Blood Bowl has shipped to retail shelves throughout North America. The upcoming fantasy sports title is set to release next week for Windows PC and the Xbox 360. With the Super Bowl just around the corner, there is no better way to get ready for the big game than with a football game that features fantasy creatures from Warhammer. Yeah it sounds strange but this ultraviolent sports game is sure to bring in football fans and those who shun away from sports games.

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Want some freakishly bouncy-bright cuteness in your Arkanoid? UK developer Strawdog Studios have announced a game to fit the bill. Space Ark, releasing in the spring, has you bouncing animals around to collect various items. You know how you bounce around a ball to break bricks in Arkanoid, yeah, the cute little animals are the balls. (more…)

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Blood Bowl is set to hit store shelves next week and just in time to hold you over till Super Bowl Sunday. This Warhammer-inspired football game combines strategy, extreme violence, fantasy characters and Americas favorite sport to bring gamers a very unique experience. Blood Bowl tests your tactical and strategic skill as you try to march down the field to score a touchdown or kill the entire team to stop them. To get you ready for the release on Xbox 360 and PC here are some videos of the different races facing off in the game. We also have the full achievement list for your achievement hunters out there. Enjoy!

Achievement List:

• 25pts- There will be blood- Get a Star Player to join your team
• 30pts -Didn’t hurt a bit-Prevent 3 players from being taken-off prematurely thanks to the Apothecary
• 10pts -Bad luck- Cause at least 3 opposition casualties in a match
• 15 pts-No messing about!- Cause at least 6 opposition casualties in a match
• 30 pts-Simply the best…- Win a competition using the “Blood Bowl® Championship” Classic rules
• 30 pts-Thanks, I took it easy-Win a competition in Easy mode
• 40 pts-Thanks, I did that with one arm- Win a competition in Difficult mode
• 50 pts-Thanks, I didn’t break sweat- Win a competition in Normal mode
• 30 pts-The Art of Bribery- Use Bribery 3 times in a game
• 10 pts-No quarter- Cause at least 2 opposition deaths in a match
• 25 pts-Survival of the fittest- Cause at least 4 opposition deaths in a match
• 25 pts-Interceptor- Captor 3 successful interceptions in a match
• 30 pts-Pass Buster!- 2 successful interceptions in a match with the same player
• 10 pts-Soft skulled- Cause at least 6 opposition KOs in a match
• 25 pts-Cracked skull- Cause at least 12 opposition KOs in a match
• 10 pts-Showtime!- Cause at least 5 opposition casualties (through death or injury) in a match
• 15 pts-For the fans- Cause at least 10 opposition casualties (through death or injury) in a match
• 30 pts-Veni, vidi, vici!- Cause at least 15 opposition casualties (through death or injury) in a match
• 15 pts-Three’s a crowd- Start a competition match with the services of a Pogoer, Looney and Fanatic in your team
• 20 pts-Team play- 4 successful passes in a match
• 35 pts-Solid-gold Thrower- 4 successful passes in a match with the same player
• 10 pts-Discovery- Finish 1 match on Xbox LIVE
• 25 pts-Starter- Finish 10 matches on Xbox LIVE
• 25 pts-Experienced- Finish 20 matches on Xbox LIVE
• 30 pts-Devotee- Finish 50 matches on Xbox LIVE
• 35 pts-Pro- Finish 100 matches on Xbox LIVE
• 20 pts-Foul play!- Have 5 players sent-off by the referee and still win the match !
• 20 pts-Anyone for six?- Score 6 touchdowns in a match
• 25 pts-9 for the fun of it!- Score 9 touchdowns in a match
• 30 pts-A star is born- Score 3 touchdowns in a match with the same player
• 35 pts-Hero of the supporters- Score 5 touchdowns in a match with the same player
• 45 pts-That’s done!- Free-up all the tournaments in Campaign mode
• 10 pts-First of many?- Win 1 match on Xbox LIVE
• 25 pts-The start of a long series?- Win 10 matches on Xbox LIVE
• 25 pts-A road paved with victories- Win 20 matches on Xbox LIVE
• 30 pts-Any challengers?- Win 50 matches on Xbox LIVE
• 45 pts-A born winner- Win 100 matches on Xbox LIVE
• 20 pts-Team development- Gain at least 25 SPPs for the team in one match
• 35 pts-Explosive advancement- Gain at least 40 SPPs for the team in one match

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Few video games arouse genuine nirvana in players, but even less promise a blossoming underwater world only to swallow gamers whole and leave them wanting more wretched decay, both lovely and sanguine. BioShock is one such praised gem, and experiencing the game without feeling like the developers literally poured their souls into its creation is virtually impossible. Indeed, BioShock at its very core flourishes as a polished experience, and quite a mighty one at that.

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I’m not the biggest fan of remakes, but there are enough classic games out there to justify companies like Team17’s decision to bring them back. They are best known for the Worms series, but they also created a popular Aliens inspired PC game released in 1990 called Alien Breed.  The top-down shooter had you fighting through a space ship taken over by aliens as you try to discover exactly what happened in the abandoned craft.

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Barring Guitar Hero 5’s revitalization of the series, Guitar Hero is becoming a bit of a one-trick pony. Take the latest iteration: Guitar Hero: Van Halen. Given out for free with the purchase of Guitar Hero 5, the full retail release has finally reached store shelves. It “features” 20 rock “superstars” alongside 80s rockers Van Halen in a wholly underwhelming exercise in tedium that reminds me exactly why I treasure my quality time spent with more polished offerings that rely less on filler tracks completely unrelated to the featured band and more on making my experience feel like a unique one with some of the music I love. Perhaps this game is a real treat for the hardcore Van Halen fans still truckin’ out there — after all, they are quite the prolific outfit — but even for franchise fans, this is most certainly a miss.
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Yes, 2009 was quite a tumultuous year. It wasn’t quite the explosive year in gaming it was made out to be, but we laughed, we cried, and we broke several controllers. We ran to our favorite gaming forum to complain, and buddy, you know we had plenty to complain about. Similarly, we had plenty to rejoice about, with some of the biggest names in gaming bringing us several adventures we won’t soon forget. In 2010, things are only going to get better, or so we hope. But what of the games we were presented with this in 2009? Which one moved us the way no other could? Which game made us weep with tears of joy at how impossibly beautiful it was? And which one made us revile at the very sight of its hideous character models? Well, faithful Spawn Killer, you’re about to find out. We’re happy to present the first annual Spawn Kill Game of the Year Awards.

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Just a few weeks ago, indie game developer Foley weaved together the soothing, enjoyable platformer Along Came a Spider onto the Xbox LIVE Indie games channel. When I first heard about it, I watched a gameplay video of it, and it instantly reminded me of those simple, artistic, relaxing platform games you can play in between some of your more brutal gaming endeavors.

I got a chance to download the full game and try it out more extensively; it had a lot more to offer than I was expecting. With 20 levels and 4 bigger boss fights, it’s one of the lengthier indie games out there, though it does come with a price: 400 MS Points, to be specific. The levels quickly set the pace for increasing difficulty as you move onward with each level. It of course understands many gamers’ need for collection, so whilst you’re rolling about, grasping onto silk, pandering to gravity and weaving your silken web lines to the end, there are 3 flies per level fluttering about to be eaten, collected, whatever you want to call it! But they don’t just sit and flutter, they get scared and run when they see you coming as you progress, and lead you through a tangled new path of their own before you’ll be able to catch them. A lot of it requires timing and strategy to outwit the flies, and also to get to the end of each level.

It’s charming and attractive, though not for everyone. Check out the gameplay trailer below to get your eight silky legs wet with Along Came a Spider.

Along Came a Spider – Xbox Live Marketplace

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Everyone knows the old saying – “Two heads are better than one.”  For the most part, it’s true.  Get more people thinking about something, and everyone benefits – you get more and different opinions that might help you shape the way you think about… well, anything.  It’s with this mindset that we go into our Two Brains review, where Tigresa and Snarkasaur have had a meeting of the minds to discuss Left 4 Dead 2 for the both the Xbox 360 and PC.

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Arguably the most exciting moment from Spike’s Video Game Awards was the debut of the first Halo: Reach video. The footage of Bungie’s prequel to the Halo trilogy reveals some of the story with, in my opinion, the most interesting moment being when a character declares “…You can leave that lone wolf stuff behind…” I can’t wait to see what is coming to the Halo universe in terms of teamwork and co-op play. The storyline behind Halo: Reach, in case you’ve not stayed in the Halo loop, is that it “charts the story of Noble Team in their heroic stand to defend the planet Reach, its people and secrets against a ruthless assault by an alien collective known as the Covenant.” Though no definitive dates have been announced, Halo: ODST owners can expect to take part in the Reach beta in the spring, while the full game release is slated for the fall of 2010. Check the video out after the break.

[Source: Press Release Email]

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I’m kidding. You’re not going to pass on Left 4 Dead 2, are you? Of course not. Especially when its first DLC add-on is set to be released this spring. Dubbed “The Passing,” this add-on episode will take place directly after the “Dead Center” campaign in Left 4 Dead 2. Per the official Valve press release, the Survivors will navigate  a small town in rural Georgia, where they’ll cross paths with the familiar favorite Survivors from the original game: Zoey, Francis, Bill, and Louis.

In addition to the augmented single player, multiplayer, and co-op it will offer, “The Passing” also drags with it a new “uncommon common” class of zombie as well as a brand new co-op mode of play that has not yet been disclosed. It will also be paired with brand new arenas for use in the various multiplayer avenues of the game.

“The Passing will become the most important campaign in the Left 4 Dead story, as all the Survivors are being called together in one campaign,” said Doug Lombardi, VP of marketing at Valve. “It will also be a huge offering of new gameplay content, with something new for every game mode plus a new uncommon common and weaponry.”

This is indeed an interesting move — I’m curious to see how the joining of both crews will play out, as it’s one possibility I never honestly contemplated. How will they react to each other? Will the old Survivors be playable? I suppose as we creep nearer to the launch date, time will tell.

“The Passing” is set for release on the Xbox 360 and PC, but pricing has not yet been announced.

[Source: Press release via email]

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