SECTION
by: Justin Clark and Matt Rose
ROCK BAND 3
Harmonix/MTV Games/EA
360, PS3, Wii, DS
10/26
MSRP: $59.99 ($129.99 for 360/Wii Keyboard Bundles)
At this point, this is the only music game, only music series that matters. You know the drill. You know what to expect. And Harmonix has fixed even more of what didn’t work about the last one. The only wild cards now are three: The DS version, which I didn’t even know existed until a week ago, but is essentially Rock Band Unplugged 2, with a much more limited amount of space and zero chance for DLC. The Export option for Rock Band 2 is still shrouded in mystery, which is sorta out of character for Harmonix, since this was RB2‘s gold mine on its release day. Lastly, how much of your money you have to blow on a keytar, and a guitar you can pretty much ONLY use here as opposed to, you know, buying a real one.
Everything else isn’t even a question. Buy.
FABLE III
Lionhead Studios/Microsoft
360, PC
10/26
MSRP: $59.99
The Fable series seems less like a collection of sequels so much as extremely high intensity polishes to the established (albeit fantastic) formula. The big differences this time are a renewed focus on a custom experience for every player, a much more Tudoresque royal espionage storyline, and a holy fuckton of British star power. Say what you will about Molyneux and his neverending quest to make THE GREATEST RPG EVAR, he does take solid strides toward that goal every time.
STAR WARS: THE FORCE UNLEASHED II
Lucasarts
360, PS3, Wii, DS
10/26
MSRP: $59.99; $49.99 Wii; $29.99 DS
I actually rather enjoy the first Force Unleashed. It was buggy as hell, it doesn’t do God of Star Wars nearly as well as it would have you believe, but it did mine the only fertile ground worth exploring in Star Wars (And no, assholes, I don’t care how good The Clone Wars has gotten, it’s still like watching turtles fuck), the gameplay was still able to hit the sweet spot fairly often, and most importantly, it filled in a nice little segment of lore without betraying either trilogy, and stood as its own self-contained tale. So, as you could imagine, the fact that this sequel not only brings Starkiller back for no reason, but makes him yet another clone, and has Vader arbitrarily doing shit for no good reason chaps my ass more than usual. The fact that the gameplay is still pretty sound kinda doesn’t matter. It’s still become Yet Another Useless Star Wars Game (™Lucasarts).
SMACKDOWN VS RAW 2011
THQ
360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP
10/26
MSRP: $59.99; $49.99 Wii; $39.99 PS2 and PSP
Not much to mention here. There’s a new physics engine that allows for chairs to be thrown, and tables to do that hilarious thing where they bend but don’t break, and then somebody else has to get thrown through to finish the job. (Tangent: Does that shit even happen in hardcore matches anymore. Last one I saw might as well have been a goddamn slapfight for how weaksauce it was.) However, there’s a new mode in this one where you create a superstar whose sole purpose in life is to end The Undertaker’s undefeated streak at Wrestlemania. As someone who’s far more casual about his wrestling than he was in his youth let me be the first to state the following: BULLSHIT. Either that man retires with his record unfucked with at Wrestlemania, or Kane buries/burns his ass alive there. These are the only two acceptable options, video game or no.
OTHER GAMES OF INTEREST
Shaun White Skateboarding (UbiSoft; 360, PS3, Wii; 10/26; $59.99/$49.99 Wii)
Tony Hawk Shred (Activision; 360, PS3, Wii; 10/26; MSRP: $59.99)
The Sims 3 (EA; 360, PS3, Wii, DS; 10/26; MSRP: $59.99/$49.99 Wii/$29.99 DS)
Crafting Mama (Majesco; DS; 10/26; MSRP: $29.99
OOOHHHH: ON THE DLC TIP
RED DEAD REDEMPTION: UNDEAD NIGHTMARE
Rockstar Games
10/26
$9.99/800 MS pts
As I mentioned weeks ago: Fuck zombies. On the other hand, Rockstar is great. And they seem to have poured a fair amount of love and care in making zombies fit in John Marston’s universe, and I do appreciate the fact that they slid it in that wonderful little gap in time before those infamous barn doors open at the end, meaning Marston’s family gets to play a bigger role. All I know is 5 years ago, somebody told me a game based around zombies in the old West would happen, I’d ask whose throat needs to be slit so that I could be playing this shit by nightfall. Now, I sorta feel like it’s an obligation. Thanks for ruining all things good, internet.
ROCK BAND TUESDAY
The Doors Greatest Hits Special Edition (14.99/1200 MS pts)
- Light My Fire X
- Riders on the Storm X
- Touch Me X
- Hello, I Love You
- L.A. Woman
- Love Her Madly
- Love Me Two Times
- Peace Frog
- People Are Strange
- Roadhouse Blues
- Soul Kitchen
- The Crystal Ship
$1.99/160 MS pts per track
X-FREE from 10/26 – 11/1, including Pro Guitar and Pro Bass expansions. Marked as RB3 Free Launch Pack on 360 and PS3.
So, yeah. 12 Doors tracks to kick off Rock Band 3. 3 of them are free, and include the expansion for the Pro Mode guitar.
The problem with Harmonix is that they just put no work into pleasing their fanbase at all. Lazy bitches.