Back in September TiX gaffer Rich Berry posted that a Brazilian classification board had released an image that Bulletstorm had been rated and was heading to Xbox. Just like something from a Mission Impossible film, screen shots of Bulletstorm were also found on a USB stick flooding E3 2016 with rumours about the game. Well it seems all the rumours were true as People Can Fly and Gearbox publishing have officially announced Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition will be released on April 7th 2017.
The 2011 Bulletstorm was Gearbox Software’s break from the Gears of War titles. We have to except that we are in a world of remakes now and it’s only right that the more overlooked titles get a chance at a new market. Bulletstorm has everything the original had and more, it will come with the unique “Skillshot” system that rewards you for executing the most creative and deadly kills imaginable, this adds a touch of arcade to the whole game. Bringing a game bang up to date doesn’t just mean messing with the visuals a bit, so People Can Fly have made Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition 4k compatible, if you can support it. As an added sweetener the king himself Duke Nukem makes an appearance, I’m sold.
Set to launch on Xbox One and Windows PC Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition is the definitive Bulletstorm experience, including:
The Total Package – All previously-released content including all maps, modes, and more on your favorite modern platform
New Overkill Campaign Mode – Blast your way through the campaign by starting with an unrestricted arsenal of weapons and Skillshots
New Echo Maps – Showcase your skills on six brand-new levels for the score-based Echo Mode
Killer Visuals – Presented with updated models, environments, and animations all running at a smoother framerate than ever before
The Art of Destruction – Orchestrate masterful kills by mixing fast-paced gunplay with unique kick, slide, and leash combos
Visceral Audio – Bask your ears in Skillshot glory with newly remastered audio effects
Duke Nukem’s Bulletstorm Tour – Pre-order the game and get the option to play through the entire Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition campaign as Duke Nukem, featuring a fully rerecorded script and brand-new lines from the original voice of Duke
So just in case you haven’t seen any new games for 2017 it’s time to start your list, put Bulletstorm at the top, I loved the first one so lets hope this bring a touch of nostalgia as well as new content.
The wait is over and the King is back as Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary Edition World Tour launches digitally today at midnight (5pm PDT) for Xbox One and Windows PC. Containing new, never-before-seen content from the original development team, this game promises to have something for everyone, whether you’re a diehard retro gamer, or someone who has never picked up the title before (shame on you).
In addition to the original game, the original development team has got back together to create a bigger and bolder fifth episode called Alien World Order. Help Duke as he travels on his World Tour visiting eight completely new Cities including Moscow, Paris, Egypt, San Francisco and Amsterdam, doing what he does best, gunning down alien scum with style.
Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary Edition World Tour includes:
“Hail to the King, Baby!” – Complete, all-new episode containing eight brand new, classically-designed levels created by the original designers of Duke Nukem 3D, Allen Blum III and Richard “Levelord” Gray.
“Come Get Some!” – All-new original music composed by Lee Jackson, original author of Duke Nukem’s iconic theme “Grabbag” and sound designer for Duke Nukem 3D, along with new one-liners from the voice of Duke himself, Jon St. John.
“I’ve Got Balls of Steel!” – All-new behind-the-scenes commentary from the original development team, accessible in-game.
“I’m Lookin’ Good!” – Play the game using the original 1996 graphics engine or toggle in real time to play with the original content rendered at improved fidelity and frame rate using Gearbox’s all-new “True3D Rendering” mode.
“Ooh, That’s Gotta Hurt!” – Duke it out online with up to eight players in Dukematch or team up in eight-player online co-op.
When asked about the up and coming release, Steve Gibson, head of Gearbox Publishing said;
We feel there isn’t a better way to celebrate 20 years of Duke Nukem 3D than to get the original team back together and provide this love letter to Duke fans. With all-new content built on top of what is undeniably one of the most iconic first-person shooters in gaming history, this is the ultimate Duke Nukem experience for both seasoned fans of the title and gamers from a new generation experiencing it for the first time.”
Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary Edition World Tour will be available digitally from midnight tonight (5pm PST) for the Xbox One and Windows PC at a price of £15.99. The game will also be available in disc format from October 18th. For further information about the game check out the Official Site here.
Borderlands: The Handsome Collection is truly an amazing set. Coming in at an impressive 37 Gig, the set not only includes remastered versions of Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel but also all the DLC, additional characters plus a few extra surprises.
So what is all the fuss about? The collection takes what is already two great games and brings them to the Xbox One by delivering a smooth 60 frames-per-second (in single player mode) and at a gorgeous 1080p, which finally rivals the original PC version. The games themselves haven’t changed in any shape or form, including the same one liners, comments, carnage and some absurd weaponry that made the original release of Borderlands 2 so popular (and a must own game in my eyes). The Collection is indeed similar to a lot of remastered games coming to the Xbox One, but it has a great trick up its sleeve – four player splitscreen co-op.
Borderlands 2, released back in 2012, was the typical example of how to make a sequel to a game. Much like a movie, it was bigger, better, with refined gameplay dynamics and so many guns. This was also the first time we saw the well-groomed villain Handsome Jack. To read our thoughts on Borderlands 2 when it first came out check out our review here. With all the expansion packs available, you are looking at over 100 hours of gameplay. Every character has a unique skill trees to explore and unlock, plus there’s so much loot and rewards to find that you won’t know where to store it all, while the DLC delivers four substantial story based expansions – you’ll be kept mighty busy with this game!
The Pre-Sequel is also included in the collection and was the first game in the series not to be developed by Gearbox – 2K Australia were at the helm of this one. Having only released last year, the game is very much run of the mill Borderlands 2 but based on the moon. This introduces new dynamics and gameplay including low gravity, which I would have expected to see simulated in some other game releases that featured the moon but it didn’t (not naming any names). There’s also jetpacks, ice and laser based weapons, and an extra six characters to get your grubby mits on – this gives the game a sizeable extension to its longevity and will be something to immerse yourself in for weeks on end.
So what are my thoughts? let’s start with the negatives. As I said earlier, the single player hammers along at a gorgeous 60 frames per second but when you start co-op it drops to half this. Add to this the slight screen tearing and texture popping I noticed while playing, and you’d think that maybe this portion of the game had been rushed. Don’t get me wrong, Borderlands 2 seems to cope really well, but the Pre-Sequel is where you will notice it struggling, with the more people you have playing, the worse it gets. Also, there are problems with the menus where you can only really use them if the screen is zoomed right out. Otherwise you only see half of the menu and options as they are off the screen. It’s a shame as the rest of the original content plays beautifully.
There is one huge positive – the amount of content you are getting for your money. Even though there are a few issues with the Pre-Sequel, there is still enough content with Borderlands 2 to keep you playing for months on end. I’ve ploughed tons of hours into the game and yet I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface. Another great feature is the ability to use your last gen saves, which comes as a relief to hardened Borderland 2 players. Finally, the ability to split screen co-op is a welcome addition to this fantastic game and I think it makes the combat so much more fun (if that was possible).
In summary, The Handsome Collection is excellent value for money, it looks brilliant and will keep you busy for many moons, even if it does have a few problems with the pre-sequel. It also serves as a great introduction to the world of Pandora for people who are not familiar with the series and want to try it out before the next one arrives. Despite its faults, this is something definitely worth considering for your Xbox One collection, even if it is purely based on the amount of gameplay and content you’re getting.
Thanks to Xbox for supplying TiX with a download code
2K Games and Gearbox has today released a trailer for the forth DLC pack for Borderlands Pre-Sequel that invites you to journey into the mind of the CL4P_TP. God have mercy on us!
Seems Handsome Jack has found actually found something useful in the annoying talking tin can and needs to retrieve it and sends you! Yes, YOU! in to the digital mind of CL4P_TP to get it. You’ll fight brand new new enemies, find new weapons and you’ll also get the ‘Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade Pack 2’ in the bundle which will increase the level cap to 70, and give you 10 more skill points to throw at your character.
After having spent some time playing the astounding Bioshock Infinite (which we scored a staggering 10/10), it got us thinking about about Elizabeth’s character. Is she the perfect companion? We thought we’d run through gaming’s most extravagant companions to see how she would stack up to the rest. We define a companion as either an AI controlled partner or just someone talking down a headset to help enhance the story and your objectives.
Let’s run down the top 10 right now.
10.
Rush (Megaman 3, 1990)
Rush is Megaman’s trusty robotic dog who would appear to help Megaman get past tricky obstacles by using his ability to transform into a submarine and by using his springboard coil to bounce extremely high. Rush has appeared in almost every Megaman game since and has also made a handful of cameos in several Capcom fighters.
9.
Captain John Price (Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, 2007)
If you were ever asked to name one Call of Duty character, 9 times out of 10 you would name Captain Price. A former member of the SAS, Captain Price is a no-nonsense soldier that alongside Soap MacTavish, goes through hell to stop the man who initiated World War III, Vladimir Makarov. Captain Price’s quick quips and charming British narcissism makes him a favoured companion amongst this list.
8.
Cortana (Halo: Combat Evolved, 2001)
Cortana is a digitized clone of Dr. Elizabeth Halsey, who became centric to the Halo universe since the beginning. Guiding Master Chief on his journeys through thick and thin. Even having something of a starring role in 343’s Halo 4. Cortana is a fan-favourite amongst the Halo fandom, and it seems that she will be for a long time to come.
7.
Claptrap (Borderlands, 2009)
Clap Trap (CL4P-TP) is a Hyperion manufactured general purpose robot that you will often see slumming around town in the Borderlands series. His particular brand of humour which involves outdated pop-culture references and pushing dubstep upon the player, has made him accepted annoyance. Borderlands fans often speak highly of Claptrap, and it’s clear that with the unavoidable Borderlands sequels to come, Claptrap will definitely be involved.
6.
Miles “Tails” Prower (Sonic the Hedgehog 2, 1992)
Tails appears to be some kind of genetically mutated fox with two tails (hehe, I get it) that give him the ability to fly. He is one of the most famous sidekicks in history, next to Robin and Luigi, he may be THE most famous sidekick. If you weren’t aware (which I astonishingly wasn’t until I was way into my 20’s) that his name is actually a play on words meaning ‘miles per hour”, you may facepalm yourself into oblivion, much like I did. Tails wormed his way into our hearts with his annoying cries of “SOOOONIIIIIIIIIC”, and he will forever live there. What a guy.
5.
Garrus Vakarian (Mass Effect, 2007)
Garrus Vakarian is the popular Turian from the Mass Effect series. A former C-Sec soldier and the most badass member of the Normandy crew, Garrus had military training at fifteen and is the crew’s resident sniper. A character so awesome, that he brushed off horrific facial scars with a witty comment like “Ah probably for the best. They were all ignoring you and hitting on me. ‘Bout time you got a fair shot.” when referring to the lovely space ladies. Garrus is cool, calm, collective, funny, and extremely badass. It’s a shame he couldn’t be higher up the list.
4.
GLaDOS (Portal/The Orange Box, 2007)
Well this is a first. An antagonist making it as a top companion. GLaDOS is the central core to the inner working of Aperture Science. The Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System lives solely to test. When the protagonist Chell awakens from a coma, GLaDOS is ready and waiting to throw test after test after test at the newly awakened mute. It is truly GLaDOS’ humour that makes this machine a top companion, the writing staff at Valve truly have created a character for the ages in this machine. They certainly couldn’t top it. or could they?
As an added extra, check out this amazing post credits song performed by GLaDOS herself.
3.
Otacon (Metal Gear Solid, 1998)
Hal Emmerich, code-named Otacon is a scientist and chief engineer of Metal Gear REX. Also best friend of Solid Snake. This relationship makes for some of the most hilarious codec conversations in the entire series. Listening to Otacon’s conversations with Snake about being trapped in compromising positions and even about Otacon urinating all over himself, means that the bond between the two makes for one of gaming’s best relationships.
2.
Elizabeth (Bioshock Infinite, 2013)
Elizabeth didn’t quite make it to number one, even though she is gaming’s most perfect companion. Her relationship with Booker DeWitt develops as the game goes on. Her frail naivety develops into a strong independence. Her knack for not just being a damsel in distress is what makes her interesting. Booker wouldn’t survive his journey in Columbia without Elizabeth, and it’s easy to see why she is one of the most popular new characters in the last few years. I would hope that her story doesn’t end with Infinite, and that there are at least some glaring references when 2K make the next installment in the series.
Well after all that, who made the number one spot? It’s tough to find a character as whole as Bioshock Infinite’s Elizabeth. But the number one isn’t even a good character, he makes it there for the sole reason of being the funniest character in the history of gaming. So, let’s check out who it is…
1. Wheatley (Portal 2, 2011)
Wheatley is hands down the funniest character in gaming history. Voiced by lanky Western English comedian Stephen Merchant, all of his country charm is transfused with the robot nature of a Portal robot. In Portal 2, GLaDOS is still the villain, but Wheatley is the hero that saves the day. Bringing you through several of Aperture Science’s most rigorous tests to help you defeat GLaDOS and end her reign of terror. But don’t take my word for it, just check this out.
Thanks for checking out another ThisisXbox Top 10, come back next week for our next installment.
Taking on the Aliens franchise for any developer was never going to be an easy feat due to the success of the movies, and the general consensus that anything remotely related to ‘Aliens’ would send a tingle of fear down anyone’s spine. There’s nothing more true in the words I’d like to say how amazing SEGA and Gearbox has developed Aliens Colonial Marines as a first person shooter – but quite frankly on first appearances it looks plain old and best compared to an early Xbox 360 game rather than something more recent. However, as the saying goes, “never judge a book by its cover”; or in this case the misleading marketing hype and screens prior to launch.
Sadly, Aliens Colonial Marines is just not scary; having been dealt this miserable blow from Dead Space 3 recently too, it’s made worse by the visual scenes of this game not even being on par with anything else in this generation over 4yrs old. Aliens Colonial Marines looks appalling graphically if not downright vile, but the gameplay itself I found rather enjoying and at times more satisfying to play than Dead Space 3 because it doesn’t have the same level of repetitiveness. This is one of those games that make you question what is more important – a game with great visuals that doesn’t play as good as you’d hope, or a game with not-so-good-visuals than plays rather well? Aliens comes into the latter, but the most important thing is likely to be a balance between the two, because the best way I can describe Aliens Colonial Marines is to imagine good sex with the ugliest person imaginable!
You just wouldn’t do it would you?
Taking the visual quality out of the equation and pretending we’re back in 2006, Aliens Colonial Marines has a decent storyline that is told through the character of Corporal Christopher Winter, a Colonial Marine that is part of a search and rescue team sent to investigate the U.S.S. Sulaco. He goes off in search of Ellen Ripley, Corporal Dwayne Hicks, and a host of other missing marines who were dispatched to an orbiting satellite LV-426, which is the location of the first contact between humanity and the Xenomorph species. If you haven’t been a fan or follower of ‘Aliens’, the Xenomorph are actually the Aliens – the deadly species who rely on a human host to impregnate and it’s offspring is born through ripping itself out of the human. You must have at least seen a clip of that moment sometime in your life?
It is at first a slow starter where your character will begin to follow orders and listen out for the next set of objective on-screen, but the majority of the game is exploration based where you face a wave of on-coming enemies both Alien and Human in almost every chapter. You set off equipped with a Motion Tracker to determine the location of enemies and important people on your man-hunt, as well as an arsenal of upgradable weaponry that include: Assault Rifles, Battle Rifles, SMG’s, Shotguns and Pistols. Each of your weapons can be customised with upgradable add-ons such as Sights, Extended Magazines, Grenade Launchers, Lasers and different Fire modes when you’ve acquired enough XP as the more you progress the more challenging the game becomes with enemies that require more fire-power to be taken down. The deeper you delve into the game, the more intense firefights in the later levels you’ll get to experience, so how you upgrade your weapons is crucial to your survival.
Aliens Colonial Marines does have a lot of action scenes throughout and is better described as a fun, run-and-gun your way through it shooter, rather than a game where you can slowly pace your way through the chapters, taking your time as the suspense and thrills eat at your nerves. There is nothing thrilling about it, nor is there much suspense – in fact, as it goes for first-person-shooters too it’s pretty generic, but it does allow for four player co-operative action and that goes down very nicely! You can always count on the addition of co-op to make an average game more enjoyable because you share the misery with more players or forget about everything else uninspiring around you through talking to your team-mates.
Not only does the game have co-operative modes (4 player online – 2 player local), but additionally there is a Versus Mode from the main options screen that opens up into varied multiplayer games. Team Deathmatch is team based where one team is the Humans and the other team a set of Aliens, but it plays and feels more like a Zombies mode than anything else where the advantage is always to the humans who can shoot long range compared to the Xenomorph Aliens who can mostly only grab and pull. Extermination is a Search & Destroy equivalent where teams must wipe out Xenomorph egg clusters in a 5-on-5 game mode, and then both Escape and Survivor modes are all about surviving Xenomorph infestations in different ways, both 4-on-4 mode.
The multiplayer in Aliens Colonial Marines is quite addictive with additional options to set your load-outs for Human and Attacks for when an Alien, as well as further customisation for your appearance, not that it matters much, but further unlocks are granted with the completion of challenges.
If Aliens Colonial Marines had been a visually impressive masterpiece design-wise with a darker, scarier presentation in its telling of the story, it could have been one amazing game if it had been done better! It’s like the development team has not matched the quality of the plotline penned by the writer, or the game went Gold at Alpha stage. It’s quite a let-down when the build-up for the game with pre-release trailers and screenshots teased something that looked very promising. Although in-parts some of the chapters are really fun to play, but as a whole it’s not enough to warrant being a game above average because of what the Aliens franchise represents and what you should expect from a game that takes on the role of a horror movie – this just doesn’t feel right for “Aliens”.
In short this game is only really worth bothering with if you’re a fan of the Aliens franchise and have to have everything with the name on it, but don’t expect to play something that will keep you on the edge of your seat as it’s a pretty run-of-the-mill shooter that looks like an absolute waste of resources. It could have been a lot better designed, and cannot get much worse! Online is really fun to play and a great alternative to other online shooters, but the novelty will be short-lived.
2K Games and Gearbox Software have released the sequel of possibly one of the most eccentric games of this generation. Borderlands 2 is available in stores now, and if the first was a surprise hit, the second can only be bigger and better – right? Well, it’s definitely bigger, better as well as a few surprises across the massive open world landscapes that you’ll explore, hunt and dash around. It does admittedly still feel lonely as a single player experience, but the whole setup has been designed for co-op gameplay. It has to be a shared experience to enjoy everything this game has to offer on the planet of Pandora. Continue reading Borderlands 2 Review→
