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All Articles: PAX East 2012
Quantum Conundrum Hands-On Preview: Lasers Make Everything Better
“It’s like Portal.”
Ever since it was announced at PAX Prime 2011, that’s been the best and most succinct way to describe Square Enix’s Quantum Conundrum. This comparison shouldn’t come as a surprise since Portal creator Kim Swift is also the lead designer on Quantum Conundrum at developer Airtight Games. The similarities end there, however, because there really is a quirky uncle to save at the end of this game. (more…)
Posted in PC, Previews, PS3, Top Story, Xbox 360
Tagged PAX East 2012, Quantum Conundrum
Aliens: Colonial Marines Hands-On Preview: The Xenomorphs Say “Game Over, Man!”
One of the longest lines at PAX East was the one for the Aliens: Colonial Marines booth, which had one of the best experiences on the show floor. No, they weren’t offering free mohawks, but they were hosting a developer-led demonstration of the single-player campaign, followed by a hands-on preview of the multiplayer… against those same developers. Sadly, we didn’t get to play as the xenomorphs, but that didn’t detract from the experience at all. And it’s scarier being hunted down by killer aliens when you know they’re far smarter than AI could ever be. (more…)
Posted in PC, Previews, PS3, Top Story, Wii U, Xbox 360
Tagged Aliens: Colonial Marines, PAX East 2012
Borderlands 2 Hands-On Preview: A Brief Visit Back to Pandora
The one thing I was looking forward to the most at PAX East was getting my hands on Borderlands 2… and I was not in the least bit disappointed by anything other than the amount of playtime I got. I could have stayed there for hours if they had let me. As it was, we had barely enough time to assign our skill points in our tree and get acclimated to the guns, before we ran around as much as we possibly could, wreaking havoc in a shiny new Pandora. Read on to find out what’s new in the Siren class, how the new guns feel, and why I can’t wait for September 18. (more…)
Posted in PC, Previews, PS3, Top Story, Xbox 360
Tagged Borderlands 2, PAX East 2012
Lollipop Chainsaw Hands-On Preview: Gimme An F! Gimme A U! Gimme An N!
Lollipop Chainsaw was definitely the hottest game at this weekend’s PAX East expo. Between the lengthy line to play a demo, the awesome foam chainsaws available at the booth, and a cosplaying cheerleader that showed so much skin she was removed from the show floor, everyone was trying to sit in the back of WB’s bus. But what about the demo? (more…)
Posted in Previews, PS3, Top Story, Xbox 360
Tagged Lollipop Chainsaw, PAX East 2012
PAX East Primer For the Regular Guy
There might be few of you out there who have read the reviews of all the playable games at PAX East, and all of the interviews with the hot developers of the moment, but are wondering what the PAX experience was like for the unwashed masses without a shiny press pass. Allow me to paint you a picture with words, if you will, which might help you determine if you wanna spend the ducats to go to this crazy thing sometime. (more…)
Posted in Features, Top Story
Tagged PAX East 2012
Aliens: Colonial Marines is officially part of movie canon; Wii U version “is not a port”
We learned two very interesting things about Aliens: Colonial Marines at this weekend’s PAX East.
One, the Sega-published shooter has been inducted into the “official canon” of the Alien universe by 20th Century Fox. Chris Faylor, the Community Manager for developer Gearbox Software, told us that all previous expanded universe material (including the novels, the comics, and all the Alien vs Predator stuff) has been thrown out. The only productions currently considered canon are the first four films (yes, even Alien 3), Aliens: Colonial Marines, and maybe Ridley Scott’s Prometheus (since there’s still the possibility it’s not a prequel).
We also chatted with Matt Powers, a Senior Producer on the game for Sega, about the Wii U version of the game. Powers initially referred to the game as “the Wii U port” and Faylor rushed back over to scold him, telling us: “I hate that word. The Wii U version is not a port. Remove it from your vocabulary.”
After that rather tense exchange, we tried to get Powers to talk more about how the Wii U controller would come into play. With the Community Manager standing over his shoulder, he would only say that “there are interesting things you can do with the Wii U controller” and “for an Aliens game, you can probably guess what some of those things are.”
For the non-diehards in the audience, Powers was (wink, wink) likely referring to the famous radar display Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, and the rest of the Colonial Marines used to track the xenomorphs in the film.
Aliens: Colonial Marines is expected to launch sometime this Fall.
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Wii U, Xbox 360
Tagged Aliens: Colonial Marines, PAX East 2012
Penny Arcade Adventures Episode 1 + 2’s player character is dead
Or possibly only mostly dead, no one’s too sure.
We talked to Robert Boyd at PAX East this past weekend and he confirmed that the rake-wielding player character of Penny Arcade Adventures Episode 1 and Episode 2 will not be making an appearance in Penny Arcade’s On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3. Officially, the character’s location is unknown, so maybe if we bug the boys at Zeboyd enough, he (or she) will make a return engagement.
Boyd revealed that he wanted to kill off the character in the opening moments of Penny Arcade 3, but the idea was nixed by Jerry “Tycho” Holkins himself. Considering the fact that we were standing in a giant convention center dedicated to his greatness and talking about a game bearing his pixelated likeness, I guess he had some pull.
As a compromise, Boyd assured us that one of the character classes players will be able to choose is “Gardener,” so as to “satisfy the need for rake-based attacks.”
Penny Arcade’s On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3 will be out this Summer on the Xbox Live Indie Games Channel, PC, and mobile devices.
Posted in Mobile, News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged PAX East 2012, Penny Arcade's On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3
New Borderlands 2 class, some collector’s edition details revealed during PAX East
As if actually getting to play Borderlands 2 this weekend wasn’t enough, Gearbox also revealed some intimate details about the game. A new class, the Mechromancer (pictured), will be available as free DLC (post-launch) to those of us fanatics who pre-order the game. The Mechromancer will be a human/machine hybrid, and will have the power to control D374-TP (known as “Deathtrap”) robots.
But that’s not all. Borderlands 2 will also include new customization options for characters, meaning you’ll be able to create your own wardrobe as you earn different gear and costumes. But the big news is the collector’s edition, which will be in the shape of a loot box and will have a Marcus bobblehead. Aforementioned fanatics will be paying a steep $149.99 for it. We’ll let you know the details as soon as we have more.
Borderlands 2 will be out on September 18th (a painful five months!) for PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.
[Source: IGN]
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Borderlands 2, PAX East 2012