Mitch has written a total of 335,654 words on this site.

mitch@gamersushi.com Twitter: @mi7ch Gamertag: Lubeius PSN ID: Lubeius SteamID: Mister_L Origin/EA:Lube182 Currently Playing: PUBG, Rainbow 6: Siege, Assassin's Creed: Origins, Total War: Warhammer 2

Geek Out Over Early Halo: Reach Scans

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Like it or lump it, there’s no denying that one of 2010’s biggest titles will be Halo: Reach, Bungie’s (supposed) final game in the Halo series. The next issue of Game Informer was confirmed last week to include a bunch of new information on the upcoming sci-fi shooter, and some kind soul has seen fit to scan an advanced copy onto the internet. The scans are fairly clear considering that they’re straight off a magazine, and I have to say that the game is looking sharp. The infamous “ugly-people” produced by the Halo 3 engine are gone, and the marines in Reach look like actual futuristic grunts as opposed to cartoon characters. Speaking of Grunts, the Covenant species have been given a face-lift and there’s one new type of enemy confirmed, a Jackal look-alike of some sorts.

The article expands upon the setting and the various characters and there’s a lot of info for Halo canon nerds (like myself) to obsess over. Go check out the scans and tell us you thoughts!

Source: All Games Beta

Top Six: Gaming’s Worst Unlocks

We’ve all worked our butt off for something that turned out to so not be worth it in the end. Shoveling the driveway, being nice to your parents, school, these are all things that have no tangible benefit in the long run. Nothing is more notorious for this than video games though. Whether you’re scampering across rooftops or desperately trying to get 100% on a game you don’t really like, gaming unlocks can be the biggest time-sink. Our list of the six worst offenders are below (Oh, and potential spoilers):

#1: Auditore Cape, Assassin’s Creed IIauditorecape

While the first Assassin’s Creed will go down in infamy for the multitude of useless collectible flags scattered across the Holy Land, Assassin’s Creed II deserves this spot for a different reason. The 100 feathers that you can collect along your Renaissance adventure seem like they’re actually leading somewhere, especially when you reach the half-way mark and you get the second best weapon in the game, the Condottiero hammer.

After hours of searching for the damnable leavings of the eagles, you return to your villa and deposit them in the box for the last time to receive…a hug. Then, your mother presents you with the cape and thanks you for not forgetting her. Ding, achievement unlocked, and we have a sweet piece of cloth to show for it. What does the cape do, though? Does it prevent fall damage, or something useful along those lines? No, it does the exact opposite of every other cape you earned for doing nothing. It makes you instantly notorious in every city in the game except for your villa. Thanks, Mom, so glad that all those archer’s families will wonder where their father went because he interfered with my search.
Continue reading Top Six: Gaming’s Worst Unlocks

Army of Two Multiplayer Trailer Brings the Co-Op

Army of Two: The 40th Day (or Total Fistbump Destruction, as it is also known) is set to be released on January 12 and fulfill our need for bromantic private miliatry company action. While the original co-op shooter fell a little short of its goal to build a competent “you and a buddy against the world” experience, the sequel seems on track to match up to the promises of the original, something that seems to be a deepening trend in the games industry.

The multiplayer for AoT: TFD has the same flavor to it as several two-man teams of colorfully dressed mercenaries battle it out over various objectives. I’m interested to see how the game makes use of the small teams and how the fire-fights will play out because, more likely than not, you’re going to be facing off against two friends who know how to work together instead of a bunch of random people from matchmaking. I’m definitely giving this game a shot when it comes out, so who’s with me? Is Army of Two on your Q1 purchase list, or are there other games that are getting your money?

Dragon Age Awakening Officially Announced

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EA and BioWare have gone on record numerous times stating that the eminent Western RPG crafter’s sci-fi and fantasy epics, Dragon Age and Mass Effect 2, are going to receive a lot of post-release content that will give the titles significant longevity. Ergo, Dragon Age has already seen day-one DLC, another piece of content that was set to be released today, and now a full fledged disc-based expansion coming in March.

Last year (it already sounds so far behind, doesn’t it?), product listings from New Zealand hinted at the arrival of a new Dragon Age title, but not something that would be available for download. Dragon Age: Origins: Awakening looks to be to Dragon Age what ODST was to Halo 3 but much, much sooner and a lot less brief in game-play length. The expansion will run about fifteen hours and will allow players to import and edit their character from the main game. The setting of the expansion will be a new nation called Amaranthine and the Warden will face off against a terrible foe known as The Architect. Somehow, I imagine an older gentleman sitting in a room lined with crystal balls, but that’s just me.

So, who’s excited about this? My Dragon Age play-through was very slap dash, and I’ve kind of been feeling guilty about how quickly I burned through it. With Mass Effect 2 coming up soon, I want to get another campaign under my belt before I shift to sci-fi, and the upcoming Awakening expansion has got me interested. What about you guys?

Source: Kotaku

Upcoming StarCraft Release Features Protoss “Mini-Campaign”

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As we all know, the various species of the StarCraft universe will be getting their own complete campaign spread across three separate titles that will fully comprise StarCraft II. With the Terran campaign “Wings of Liberty” set for release sometime this year (hopefully), we all assumed that we’d have to wait until 2011 or later to play as the Protoss, but this may not be the case.

A Blizzard Community Team member confirmed on the official Battle.Net forums that the psychic aliens will get a small campaign separate from the Terran missions in StarCraft II. The Protoss portion of “Wings” is expected to be much shorter than the Terran sections and will only feature a small sampling of units and buildings, so it doesn’t exactly set one up for multiplayer. The main purpose of the mini-campaign is to break up the pacing and add a little variety to the single player offering.

What are your opinions on this new development in the seemingly never-ending stream of pre-release StarCraft news? It’s great that Blizzard continues to add new features to the game (even when they take essential ones out), but I’m of the opinion that StarCraft II needs to hit in 2010 or the sci-fi RTS will take a major hurting in the PR department. How do you guys feel, though? Is StarCraft II going to be worth the wait, and are you going to pick it up?

Source: Kotaku

He Said What? The Most WTF Quotes of ’09.

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Hope everyone had a safe and happy New Year! As we slip into 2010 and eagerly await the best first quarter of video game history, we look back and reflect on 2009 and what an interesting year it was for gaming. We had plenty of great games drop this year (Batman, Resident Evil 5, Assassin’s Creed II just to name a few), and we finally saw the release of the undeniable juggernaut, Modern Warfare 2. But, as great as this year has been, there’s been more than a few eyebrow-raising moments as well. Whether you’ve got Infinity Ward’s decision to use matchmaking on the PC, Bobby Kotick’s Emperor Palpatine-esque villainy or Microsoft and Sony’s bizarre desire to tap into the motion control market, 2009 has seen its share of shenanigans. 1up has put together a list of their top industry quotes of 2009, and I’ve gone through and picked out a few of my favorites:

“You ever wonder what the bottom of an Avatar’s shoe looks like? Well BAM! There it is!”

Kudo Tsunoda demonstrating Natal at the E3 2009 Microsoft key note.

“Games have been used for stimulation, but maybe it won’t be long until games are used for relaxation and even to fall asleep.”

Nintendo prez Satoru Iwata introducing the ultimate WTF, the Wii Vitality Sensor, at the E3 2009 Nintendo key note. Continue reading He Said What? The Most WTF Quotes of ’09.

Capcom Remains Dour On Western Collaboration

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Capcom, why do your employees have to be such downers? First Mega Man and Dead Rising series creator Keiji Inafune says that he believes that Japanese game development is on a serious decline, and now company president Haruhiro Tsujimoto has gone on record saying that Capcom has some trouble working with Western studios. The full quote goes like this:

“Our experience with Bionic Commando has demonstrated the difficulty of outsourcing the development of new title to overseas companies”, he said. “Nevertheless, we cannot develop a sufficient number of titles without using the resources of these companies. This is why we plan to continue using these alliances.”

Mr. Tsujimoto elaborates further, saying that the joint developments between his studio and Western based companies will continue for sequels while Capcom works on new titles. Part of the problem may stem from the fact that having two completely different styles of game development trying to mesh in one game may not work as well as one would hope, but what do you guys think? Is Capcom a little gun-shy after the failure of Bionic Commando, and what does this mean for up-coming titles like Dead Rising 2, which is being developed by Vancouver, Canada based Blue Castle Games?

Source: Kotaku

Gaming Christmas Carols

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We’re really getting into the holiday spirit here at GamerSushi, but there’s always been one thing that we’ve found to be deficient in this most favorite of seasons: uber-leet carols! Sure, we all know the classics, like Frosty the Snowman or Silent Night, but are they really relevant anymore?

Well, fear not, as we’ve taking the liberty of updating some old dusty songs into something new and modern! The only things they’re missing are motion controls and HD graphics!
Continue reading Gaming Christmas Carols

Today’s WTF: Microsoft Wants You to Exercise?

avatarYou know how in Wii Fit when you start an account it takes a measurement of your body weight and tries to apply it correctly to your Mii? More often that not it just ends up making you look like a pudgy roll of dough instead of the ripped stud you know you are. Well, it looks like Microsoft may be angling at getting in on some of that hot self-loathing action as 1up recently found that the software giant has filed a patent titled “Avatar Individualized by Physical Characteristic”.

How exactly is Microsoft going to get your waist size, though? According to the patent, information about your body’s various metrics will be obtained via a “third party health data collection repository”, which is described in the document as a “health care smart-card.”

It gets better, though. If you opt into this digital boot camp, you can limit yourself on the amount of time your able to spend playing your console, or get access to more time by having the smart-card recognize that you’re losing weight. I’m all for bettering oneself, but there’s more efficient ways to do it than having a video game console yell at you or limit your time on it. If you really want to improve yourself, you take actual real steps like dieting and exercising. I really do hope this is entirely optional, because if Wii Fit has taught me anything, it’s that body sensors really cannot give an accurate depiction of a person. What do you guys think? Is this just one more WTF move from the sometimes perplexing New X-Box Experience? Is Microsoft barking up the wrong tree?

Source: 1up

Sony Testing the Waters for a Premium PSN Subscription

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There’s always been three certainties so far this generation in regards to online console services: Microsoft’s costs money, Sony’s is free and the Wii’s connectivity is balls. While the Sony Defense Force is always quick to point out how readily Microsoft is willing to try and nickle and dime its subscriber base, it looks like the PlayStation 3 might be setting up its own monetary-based service.

A recent survey lays out several different plans all with varying levels of privileges and content. There are some pretty decent perks included with the subscription options such as cross-game voice chat, loyalty rewards and access to the first hour of a full PlatyStation 3 game instead of a fifteen minute demo.

Judging by the survey it appears that PSN users are still going to get access to the basic offerings, and this is just an option for those who want a $69.99 garnish on their gaming experience. Take a look at the survey and tell us what you think. Would you pay for premium Sony content or stick with the basic package? Remember that this is just a feeler put out by Sony, so all these things are subject to change.

Source: Kotaku

Splinter Cell: Conviction’s Co-Op Trailer is Sneaky

The way I see it, one of the finest co-op campaigns in gaming is the one from Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory where you play as two Third Echelon ninjas assisting franchise protagonist Sam Fisher in an alternate look at the story line. Conviction, the newest game in Ubisoft’s stealth action series, is going to feature a different take on the co-op mode that was presented in Chaos Theory. Whereas the campaign in CT ran parallel to the main story, this time around it serves as a prequel to the plot, probably giving us an explanation as to what has been going on in the Splinter Cell universe before the beginning of Conviction. Take a look:

How do you guys feel about it? Are you down for some co-op stealth shenanigans when the game drops in February?

Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days Trailer Blows My Mind

I never played the original Kane & Lynch, so I can’t really comment on its quality (or lack thereof). One thing I do know, though, is that the trailer for the second game is amazing. I realize that it has no game play and it’s more than 99% likely that this is not in-engine, but you know what? I don’t really care.

I’m not sure why, but I love this trailer. My advice to IO is that they should just make this a movie. What do you guys think? Interested, or were you burned by the first game? Perhaps you’re getting sick of the number two in your titles? Oh, the video also contains some bad language, so exercise discretion if you’re into that sort of thing.

Tons of Premiers at Spike’s VGAs

Spike’s Video Game Awards were last night, and for the most part I think the accolades handed out were fairly accurate. Besides doling out some weird monkey statues, the VGAs also played host to a smattering of game announcements from the obvious (Halo: REACH), to the puzzling (Green Day: Rockband), and finally to the completely mind-blowing. If you missed the first few minutes of the awards show like I did, you may have missed this trailer. I don’t want to ruin the surprise, so take a gander.

What did you guys think of the awards show, and, more specifically, what did you think of the premiers and the winners? Hit the jump for a couple more trailers.
Continue reading Tons of Premiers at Spike’s VGAs

Transformers Trailer is More Than Meets the Eye

I’ll be honest here, I loves me some Transformers. Although I am of the opinion that Revenge of the Fallen is the cinematic equivalent of water-boarding, there’s just no denying that watching twenty-foot machines that turn into jets and cars beat the lug nuts out of each other gets my motor running.

We’ve seen the Transformers battle it out on the silver screen and on television, but I’ve always wanted a good Transformers game. There have been some decent titles in the past, but nothing that has really grabbed me. The upcoming Transformers: War for Cybertron game by Bad Moon Studios, the development house behind the Bourne Identity games, may just do the trick.

What do you guys think of the trailer? Sure it’s computer-generated as opposed to actual game-play, but it’s got me hopeful. All I need is Soundwave messing up Autobots and I’ll be happy.

Dead Space 2 Confirmed!

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When your magazine is owned by one of the largest video game retailers on the continent it naturally means that you’re going to have a bunch of exclusive info crop up in your publication. Game Informer has, over the last year, dropped a lot tantalizing data on the games we want and the January issue is going to be no different.

Though it may come as a bit of a surprise, given that the original didn’t sell nearly as well as EA hoped, Dead Space is getting a sequel and there’s going to be quite a few changes in store for everyone’s favorite space-zombie killing mute. First off all, Isaac is able to talk in the sequel, so perhaps he’ll start telling off all the people who insist he repair a toilet on the other side of a necromorph-infested space station. Other changes include the ability to float while in zero-g and fire your weapons as well. The game is going to take place on a space station called “Sprawl”, which is apparently going to be much larger than the Ishimura was in the first game.

Perhaps the biggest shake-up is the inclusion of multiplayer this time around. No one knows what it consists of at this point, but a lone man surviving against waves of player-controlled necromorphs would be pretty banging. Team Death Match and CTF game types are probably a safe bet, but we’ll have to wait for the January issue of Game Informer to get all the details.

What do you guys think of Dead Space getting a sequel? Are you excited that EA is giving the franchise another try? How do you feel about multiplayer and what do you expect from this second go-around?

Source: Kotaku

World of Warcraft Patch Trailer Announces the Beginning of the End

Say what you will about World of Warcraft and what it’s doing to PC gaming, there’s just no denying that Blizzard knows how to promote their product. This latest trailer is similar in style to the one that Blizzard released for the Ulduar patch a while back in that it sets the stage for the upcoming (and final) dungeon of the Wrath of the Lich King expansion.

Since the Lich King has been a big character in Warcraft lore for years, you can bet that there’s going to be some epic showdowns with the titular baddie. There’s also some pretty neat UI and game-play improvements, but I’m still most impressed with Blizzard’s ability to make a game this old look so good.

What else can we expect from this patch? Justice.

Review: Assassin’s Creed II

ac2The first Assassin’s Creed was a love it or hate it affair. The game was, to be honest, a proof of concept more than anything else, a playground where Ubisoft could test out a really impressive graphics engine. The game rightly caught flack for its repetitive nature and the general silliness of its sci-fi overtones, but there were a lot of people out there who believed that the series had some merit. The game ended up selling fairly well, so the green light was given on the sequel.

Whereas the original game took place mostly in 1191, the second Assassin’s Creed is set during Renaissance Italy around the late 15th century. While you still control hapless kidnap victim Desmond Miles during some sections of the game, you spend most of your time inhabiting the body of Ezio Auditore da Firenze, a brash young nobleman and banker’s son. The game starts off very similar to Grand Theft Auto where it walks you through a bunch of missions that teach you how the game’s mechanics work while setting up for the first big plot point. Some of the early missions are, admittedly, fairly stale but serve as a good introduction to the setting and some of the major characters you’ll be running across.

Ezio himself is far more likeable than Altair was in the first game. There’s no denying that Altair knew his business, but he wasn’t a sympathetic character. During the course of Assassin’s Creed II you’ll actually be rooting for Ezio as you pilot him through his trials and tribulations and, in a way, you’ll sort of feel like you actually grow with him. While the story does get kind of muddled around the end (I’m fairly sure the gaps in the plot will become downloadable content, but that’s just a guess), Ezio’s tale is full of likeable and hateable characters, and the writing and voice acting are both sharp.
Continue reading Review: Assassin’s Creed II

Aliens Vs Predator Banned in Australia, Developers Fire Back

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The Land Down Under is known for many things, like koalas, giant cans of beer and Crocodile Dundee (not to mention all around manly-man Saxton Hale from Team Fortress 2 lore), but it’s also home to some of the most draconian video game rating laws on the planet. How the system works is that if a title is rated over MA15+, then it’s “refused classification” and cannot be sold in the country. Big surprise, then, that the upcoming Aliens Versus Predator by Rebellion has been banned. The game features two of the most acclaimed movie monsters of our time, and the films they’ve starred in have never been stringy on the violence.

If a developer wants to skirt a ban then they have to modify the content of their game so it meets the harsh criteria. Bethesda and Valve have both bowed to the iron will of the Australian government, but Rebellion is not backing down. They’re not going to modify the content, and they have one of the sassiest PR responses I’ve ever seen:

“The content of AVP is based on some of the most innovative and iconic horror movies, and as such we wanted to create a title that was true to the source material. It is for adults, and it is bloody and frightening, that was our intent. We will not be releasing a sanitised or cut down version for territories where adults are not considered by their governments to be able to make their own entertainment choices.”

Take that, Australia! That’s a nice intelligent response, but I doubt it’s going to sway the Australian government. How do you guys feel? I don’t think we’ve talked about Australia’s ratings before, so give me you thoughts on those, too. On the subject of AVP itself, who’s picking this up? I know I am!

Source: Kotaku

Mass Effect 2 Features the Dreaded Disc Swap

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We all know Mass Effect 2 is going to be, ahem, massive, but just how gargantuan is the upcoming sci-fi epic? Chris Priestly, community coordinator at BioWare, mentioned on the game’s official forums that Mass Effect 2 is going to be a two-disc game, three if you’re picking up the collector’s edition.

PC owners get the benefit of only using two discs for install, but 360 players will have to experience the awful exchange mid-game. It’s not going to be so bad though, as Priestly went on to break down just how the two-disc system is going to play out:

“Even though there is a disc swap, it occurs at a carefully planned place in the game (that does not interfere with gameplay) and is done once,” Priestly wrote on the Mass Effect 2 forums. “You do not swap back and forth. 1 swap and then done.”

Well, that’s a relief. I honestly don’t mind swapping discs, but it has been a while since I’ve needed to do that. The way I figure it, the more discs you use, the less time you spend in elevators. How do you guys feel? Is this a big deal for you, or not so much? Are you excited by the prospect of the sequel being so immense that it requires more than one disc?

Source: Kotaku

On Glitches and Cheating

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Modern Warfare 2 is an incredibly fun experience online, whether you’re grouping up in one of the few rooms that allows party chat or going lone wolf like I tend to. The game is consistently rewarding, and I rarely feel frustrated to a degree where I consider quitting.

That used to be the case until a new exploit in the game became all the rage. You may have experienced a scenario where an enemy soldier sprints towards you with a Javelin launcher equipped, intent on suicide. You pop a few rounds into him, mutely thanking the newbie for an easy kill. Just as you begin gloating, the oncoming adversary explodes and takes you down with him. By using some sneaky controller manipulating, the griefer is essentially turned into a human bomb with a dead man’s switch. Killing him causes the Javelin to go off, triggering a massive explosion.

Fortunately, this new way to show your immaturity is being patched, and those who are caught using it face bans. This got me thinking, however. As much as this glitch peeves me, there are some legitimate things in Modern Warfare 2, and other games besides, that aren’t exploits per se but are incredibly underhanded.
Continue reading On Glitches and Cheating