Review: Dungeon Defenders

Most gamers will attest that an entertaining story is one of the most important things to be found within a video game. The way characters interact and change throughout a game can be, well, moving. However, there are some games that simply don’t need to do too much on this front due to addicting gameplay. Trendy Entertainment’s Dungeon Defenders is a great example of how core mechanics can more than make up for the lack of an epic tale.

Dungeon Defenders is a downloadable title (available on XBLA, PSN, and PC) that is one part tower defense and another part RPG. The player is put into the role of one of four classes that most gamers should be familiar with: Apprentice, Huntress, Monk, or Squire. Each class has their own specific abilities that allow them to contribute to the overall task of eliminating all of the monsters that invade the screen. For example, my Apprentice named Akamu is able to cast powerful spells to hit enemies from afar, where my friend’s Squire named Sabyr is able to construct giant barriers to protect us.

The cartoony look and amazing effects in Dungeon Defenders create an entrancing world.

As you conquer each round the number of baddies grows, and the sheer amount of them can become overwhelming. Level designs start out pretty basic, but continue to become more complex as you journey on. Communication is absolutely key when playing Dungeon Defenders; think of it as the Portal 2 of tower defense games. Players must talk during the build phase to protect the almighty Eternia Crystal, as well as when their barriers become damaged. Mana gained from killing opposing forces is used to build and upgrade more barriers.

Even though the task of every level is ultimately the same, Dungeon Defenders still managed to hold my interest throughout my play-through. The way players must work together to take down a horde of enemies is entirely satisfying. Knowing that the success, and demise, of your team depends on how well you work together makes each round exciting. There is also the surprise factor of finding loot that is spread throughout the levels. You’ll find yourself constantly upgrading your equipment and weapons in the middle of rounds.

Your character stats and loot can be found within a series of intuitive menus.

While Dungeon Defenders is an overall great experience, that’s not to say that it is without its flaws. One of my biggest complaints of most RPG titles is that the loot you acquire doesn’t actually change the look of your character. Sure, the weapons do change, and the effects of them are pretty amazing most of time, but the fact remains that other gear doesn’t. The spells that my Apprentice casts are incredible looking, and I just wish that the other gear applied to my character did too. I understand it’s a daunting task for the developers, but I’d gladly do with a smaller pool of gear if it changed my look. That would add to the great sense of player customization that is already seen in the game. Imagine running into players online who are donned in a full purple outfit because it is the rarest of items. You would be pretty impressed!

One smaller complaint is that I feel like the Squire class is a bit overpowered. In an online match, our high level Squire set barriers at most of the major pathways, so there wasn’t much else for the rest of the group to do. He insisted that we sit back untouched by the enemies, which isn’t the most exciting strategy. I feel like the classes could rely on one another more equally.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Dungeon Defenders packs so much content that is hard to believe it is a downloadable game. The blend of tower defense and RPG elements make for an amazing cooperative experience. An intuitive interface and sexy presentation will help draw in even non-fans of the genre(s). The design is unique enough to set itself apart from other games set in similar worlds. Traditional RPG elements like loot hunting and leveling up will keep players coming back for more… and more. All of the above combine to make Dungeon Defenders a great game that will reward you for venturing through the castle walls for hours to come.

RATING: 9.0/10

Amazing!

Dungeon Defenders is available now on Xbox Live Arcade for 1200 Microsoft Points, and PlayStation Network and PC for $15. You can try the demo, purchase, and queue up your downloads here!

Uncharted 3 Review

Story: Nathan Drake finishes the Uncharted trilogy by truly finding out where Francis Drake went and what he decided to hide from the world for the good of mankind. U3 easily has my favorite story of the three in the series and is very cinematic in its presentation. If I had to compare it to something, I would say it is most like Quantum of Solace with its Fire-Wind-Water-Earth motif. The twists and turns it takes in the actual story were actually pretty surprising and unexpected. If you played U1 and U2 then you need to play U3 and see how it ends.

Score – 10/10

Graphics: Let it be said that Uncharted 3 is a very beautiful game. It’s not to say that it’s perfect as some of the faces look a little . . . “off” during cinematic cutscenes. In-game visuals are very nice with storm-torn seas, winding desert cliffs, and worn-out cities. Rain, water, and fire effects all look good. Character designs are also very detailed. Overall it is a very bright and beautiful game.

Score – 9/10

Sound: The soundtrack itself compliments the game very nicely, though at times it gets masked by gunfire and explosions. If you enjoyed the soundtrack for the first and second Uncharted then you will enjoy this one. Voice-acting is also top notch with all of the cast returning to reprise their roles, along with some new faces to help round out the game. My personal favorite is Claudia Black as Chloe Frazer *wink*

Score – 9/10

Gameplay: Both singleplayer and multiplayer play wonderfully. Singleplayer takes you from fighting through city streets, to shootouts on ships, to riding horses through the desert. Drake is still able to make use of all of his combat and jumping skills to progress through the game, as well as his journal to solve puzzles. U3 does introduce a decoder that Drake uses at certain points in the game, but this happens automatically with no real input from the player. Multiplayer is also a solid part of the game with both competitive and cooperative doing their part very well just as they did for U2.

Score – 9/10

Trophies: Probably the most disappointing thing about the game, though not by much. U1 and U2 had very boring lists consisting of get X amount of kills with Y weapon, collecting treasures, beating it on X difficulty, and doing X things Y amount of times. U3 cuts down on almost all of these with less treasure trophies, less weapon trophies, and a few new trophies thrown in for doing things like hitting people with fish or playing in a swimming pool. Overall it’s a better list than U1 and U2, but it could use improvement. And with inevitable DLC trophies on the way for multiplayer . . . ugh.

Score – 8/10

Final Score: 9/10

Amazing!

Dev Diary: The War of the Worlds

Other Ocean Interactive and Paramount Digital Entertainment today released a new developer diary to celebrate the upcoming launch of their latest XBLA/PSN/PC game. The new downloadable title, The War of the Worlds, will be available on Xbox Live Arcade on October 26th. Release dates for PSN and PC services are forthcoming. More information about the game can be found below the video.

The War of the Worlds Details

• Developed in conjunction with Paramount Digital Entertainment, The War of the Worlds is a dark and breathtaking new vision inspired by the classic H.G. Wells novel, retold as a single player, 2D action-adventure and narrated by the acclaimed and distinguished actor Sir Patrick Stewart. Set in London, the gameplay narrative parallels the timeline and events from the 1953 movie adaptation, but introduces a new story arc, characters, locations, and sub-plots. With gameplay paying homage to classic cinematic platformers such as Flashback, Out of This World and Prince of Persia, the game follows the exploits of an unknown everyman struggling to escape the Martian invasion of London and rescue his family. Forced to think through insurmountable odds, players will outsmart an army of alien tripods, spiders and drones as they make their way through a landscape of total devastation.

• The War of the Worlds will be available on XBLA October 26th for 800 MS Points ($10.00). For more information about The War of the Worlds, please visit www.waroftheworldsgame.com or visit the game’s official Xbox page at http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/Product/The-War-of-the-Worlds/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d80258410b64.

Dev Diary: Dungeon Defenders

Dungeon Defenders Details

• Trendy Entertainment has released the fourth developer diary for its upcoming co-op/action-RPG/tower-defense game, Dungeon Defenders! The video features an in-depth look at the RPG mechanics of Dungeon Defenders. The devs show off how players can level the four different character classes, find tons of loot, raise and collect a variety of pets with different abilities, and forge and trade equipment.
• Dungeon Defenders will be available on Xbox LIVE Arcade and PC on Oct. 19 and on PlayStation Network Oct. 18. You can also pre-order Dungeon Defenders right now on Steam:http://store.steampowered.com/app/65800
• Dungeon Defenders is AAA downloadable game which is equal parts tower defense and action-RPG. Create a hero from one of four classes and develop your skills, pets, towers and abilities to fight off the evil from Etheria! Take your character online to share your wares, pets and skill with four-player local and online co-op!

SkyDrift Gets New DLC

SkyDrift DLC Details

The newly released arcade racer SkyDrift has received its first set of downloadable content (DLC). The “Extreme Fighters Pack” gives players access to three of the most powerful and deadly planes yet. SkyDrift is currently available on both the Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) and PlayStation Network (PSN) platforms. Details for a Steam version of the game are TBA. Be sure to join the game’s official Facebook page and follow them on Twitter for future updates!

Call of Duty Elite Beta Now Available on PS3

Call of Duty fans who call the PlayStation 3 their home should be on the lookout, as the Call of Duty Elite beta has now begun. Invitations are rolling out in waves, so don’t worry if you haven’t gotten in yet. Call of Duty Elite gives hardcore gives fans the ability to connect and compete with other gamers, as well improve their strategy in future Call of Duty online matches. More information about the service can be found below.

Call of Duty Elite Beta Details

• The Call of Duty Elite Beta, utilizing Call of Duty: Black Ops, will test select features and functionality, including stat tracking, the use of custom player groups, competitive events and video sharing.  A major upgrade of additional features will come to Call of Duty Elite at its official launch on November 8^th with Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare 3. 
•  Premium members of Call of Duty Elite will also receive all downloadable content for the new blockbuster title Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.  All of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 DLC, 20 pieces of new in-game content, will be available monthly during the 9-month DLC season.  But for those still waiting to sign-up, DLC will still be available a la carte too.
•  To register for the beta, go to www.callofduty.com/elite.  For additional Call of Duty Elite updates, frequently asked questions and additional information on the premium component to Elite, visit www.facebook.com/callofdutyelite, and also via Twitter@CallofDutyElite.

BloodRayne: Betrayal Review

BloodRayne: Betrayal stars Rayne, a half Human half Vampire hybrid known as a Dhampir. In this installment she’s been recruited by the Brimstone Society to investigate why vampires have been gathering en masse. What lies in wait is 15 chapters of challenging fights, aggravating jumping puzzles, and surprisingly little explanation as to what happens with the story.

The first thing that is noticeable about the game is the graphical style. It’s far-flung from the other games set in the BloodRayne series and is much more akin to it’s fellow side-scroller Shank, though with a more Gothic tone. It’s very nice to look at and, despite the fact that the backgrounds are repeated ad nauseam, they are very detailed and add to the gameplay experience and the overall tone of the game.

When it comes to the story there isn’t much to go over. The Brimstone Society recruits you to hunt some vampires. That’s about it. There are only two characters introduced in the game, though one returns from a previous BloodRayne game despite being dead with no explanation as to how he is alive here and now, and the other is shown to us throughout the game like we are supposed to know him but I’ve never seen him before, nor has Rayne. A few ridiculous bosses and some expected story twists later and you are at the end credits. The story is easily the weakest part of the game. There isn’t even a good point in the series to insert this game in, meaning this game is most likely non-canon.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the soundtrack is easily the best part of this game in my opinion. From the splash screen that you see when you go to load up the game, all the way to the end credits, there is some fantastic music going on. Throw in the fact that when you enter a secret code you even unlock an 8-bit soundtrack which also sounds fantastic and you’ve got yourself a great musical experience. I give a big hand to the game’s composer Jake Kaufman. Fantastic work Jake! Fingers crossed that the soundtrack is available for download soon because it really is that good.

Finally, we come to the gameplay. Word around is that this game is hard, but that’s not exactly true. This game is challenging. There is a difference between the two and this difference becomes evident as you actually play the game. When you first load it up you might start tearing your hair out as enemies literally decapitate you and chuck your body all over the screen. Once you make use of the dash button(L2), and trust me you will use this button more than you can imagine, you should adapt to the game’s playstyle and quickly turn the tables on your adversaries.

Final Thoughts

When I first started the game I didn’t like it, aside from the music, but as I played more I warmed up to the game. Sadly it can’t keep my interest as to really want to go back and get the highest rank on every stage, which is very difficult I might add. Overall a $15 price tag feels a tad too heavy for this game and $10 feels much more appropriate. People have said this is much like Castlevania. To that I say go spend $10 on Castlevania Symphony of the Night and pocket the remaining $5 and you’ll have a better experience.

Final Score: 6.5/10

New BloodRayne: Betrayal Screens

WayForward has released a new set of screenshots for their upcoming downloadable game, BloodRayne: Betrayal. Loving the gore and action elements shown off in these screens– this game looks like a ton of fun. You can view the rest of this batch, as well as a handful of others, on our official Flickr page. BloodRayne: Betrayal is set to launch next week on PlayStation Network (September 6th) and Xbox Live Arcade (September 7th).

BloodRayne: Betrayal Screenshots

SkyDrift Receives Official Launch Date

Digital Reality today announced that their upcoming flight racing game, SkyDrift, will launch for both Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network on September 7th, 2011 for 1200 Microsoft Points ($15). SkyDrift puts players in the cockpit of one of eight planes (with over 30 skins), as they battle for first place in this insane arcade racer. More information about the game can be found below.

Details About SkyDrift

“SkyDrift is more than your typical arcade style racing game,” says Péter Nyester, SkyDrift Producer, Digital Reality. “Our team worked hard to deliver realistic, cutting edge graphics that are visually stunning, which really transform the overall feel of the gameplay. Skydrift combines all the best elements of arcade-heavy games with stimulating graphics and smooth game play – creating the ultimate racing experience.”

Dominate against the deadliest opponents in the most spectacular exotic locations from all around the world. Choosing from 33 racing events on several reversible, living tracks, players will compete against opponents in single player or multiplayer challenges with up to eight players- the possibilities are limited only by your own imagination! Become the master of the sky with challenging achievements, collectable rewards, and tons of tactical power-ups that range from offensive and defensive in nature and can be stacked with other power-ups. The goal is simple: if you can’t overtake them, shoot them down!

For more information about SkyDrift, please visit the official website at http://skydriftgame.com and YouTube page and then follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Dead Block Receives DLC

Candygun Games today announced that their Xbox Live Arcade title Dead Block has received its first set of downloadable content (DLC). Dead Block puts players in the shoes of one of four individuals, as they try to eliminate and survive against waves of zombies. The first piece of DLC features four new locales to explore, including: a Motel, a Turkish Bath, an Office building, and a Slaughterhouse. All four new levels are available in both single player and four player offline co-op. The Dead Block DLC is available now on Xbox Live Arcade for 240 Microsoft Points.

Dead Block is available now on Xbox Live Arcade (800 Microsoft Points) and PlayStation Network ($10). You can read our review of the game right here. More screenshots of the new DLC can be found on our official Flickr page.

For more information, please visit the Dead Block website at www.deadblock.com, follow the characters on Twitter, subscribe to the YouTube channel and ‘Like’ the game on Facebook.