Tension mounts as the camera shot draws away to his real predicament, one that sees the car being lifted into a compactor, whilst his enemy looks on discussing briefly the reason why our character is in this situation.  The base of the story laid out, the tension hanging and the initial key presses to start your escape ala Battlefield.  You manage to get out, run to a car with your foes just about to follow you.  The conversion from game into pure film form is right there and then ………. loading ……… loading …….loading.  The tension is broken, the feeling of what proper film form gave you is gone, washed away in the bleakness of a loading screen and tries hard to claw you back throughout the game but not with much success.

• Likes

  • Great Concept
  • Autolog included
  • Frostbite 2 engine

• Dislikes

  • Handling
  • Blockbuster film form doesn’t work

You see, this is a problem that has the gaming industry on its knees as they try to find a way to convey the structure and narrative of film into our gaming worlds and unfortunately, the intervention of a loading screen at key points seems to be the main reason that games just don’t work when played or viewed in such a cinematic way.  That’s not to say that narrative doesn’t work, it does and very successfully but when you try to merge two art forms together, it tends to lack somewhere and Need For Speed: The Run has this as its downfall.

The game itself is good and Black Box, through Criterion’s stellar approach to critically acclaimed Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, have learnt all over again what a Need For Speed game should be about providing break neck gameplay with responsive controls, over a series of roads all running through the incredible Frostbite 2 engine.  The now bread and butter overlay of Autolog has also been included to allow for a challenge or two between friends logging speed runs on certain roads and sending them straight to your mates for them to beat.

The game itself can require precision driving at times and is evident very early on in the game as you are being chased down by people that you owe money too.  Being able to apply the right amount of power and braking to negotiate the corners to get the required speed out of them takes a little time as you get used to the weight of the car and its distribution through the corners.  Beating the train to the crossing, for example, provides for some frustrating moments but once you are out on the open, things start to become more like the Need For Speed we know.

Based on a race across the country from San Francisco to New York, Need For Speed, takes us on an adventure of break neck racing taking in many locations and weather conditions.  Some roads are more open and straight whilst others have a lot of bends where your car choice can make a difference between overtaking the required amount of cars to proceed to the next section and having to rack your brain to select the right specs on any of the cars available to tackle the conditions.  As well as the standard racing the roads are jam packed with vehicles for you to negotiate but all the while concentrates also on the short cuts that you have come to know and love to reduce those times down and overtake more opponents too.

It may seem simple enough but when you have to negotiate landslides and other tricky conditions that the game throws at you, Need For Speed – The Run delivers enough variety in the gameplay and sometimes the most unexpected times to reward the gamer with a thrill that only the newer Need For Speed titles can deliver and with the focus on big blockbuster action sequences some WTF moments too.

The handling dynamics of the cars themselves seem to have had a personality problem as they cannot decide what they really should be.  It feels as though they are firmly in bed between Shift’s more sim handling but has had a bit of a conflict with itself and also tried to add a little of the handling of Undercover too which is not the best relationship.  It is a far cry from Need For Speed Pursuit’s excellent handling and suffers a little because of it.

The star of the show, however, has to be the Frostbite 2 engine and everything it creates.  The lighting particles and textures in the landscape are as jaw dropping as you expect, creating environments that play well to Frostbite 2′s strengths and doesn’t let up, no matter how busy the screens get.

It is, however, unfortunate that Need For Speed: The Run suffers from these foibles as this is what really upsets the apple cart and makes the game a do i, don’t i proposition.  I have to applaud Black Box in trying something different to build onto the rebirth of the franchise, something I do not do a lot, I admit.  The cinematics and the attempt to create a blockbuster film like game are sincere BUT games just don’t behave like they should to build up tension within the storyline and this unfortunately is one major flaw in the game.

I had problems trying to find friends that have populated the leaderboards and inevitably is what the games longevity lives and dies on.  The ability to try and beat other people’s times.  If people aren’t taking up the challenge like they did in Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit then the game will fail despite the great things the title also has to offer.

Related posts:

1. EA and Blackbox announce Need For Speed: The Run
2. Need For Speed: The Run to use Frostbite 2 engine
3. Need For Speed: The Run demo coming this month

Using theNeed for Speed franchise’s signature Autolog feature, gamers will compete to see who will come out on top and who will be left in the dust as they race through the Desert Hills of California and Independence Pass of Colorado.

In the Need for Speed The Run demo, players will have access to two high-powered supercars including the Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni. The second car, the 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S, will be unlocked when gamers refer a friend to download the demo, giving them one of first opportunities to get behind the wheel of this 400HP luxury ride. The Need for Speed The Run demo will be available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace worldwide and the PlayStation Network in North America from October 18th to November 1st, and available on the PlayStation Network in Europe from October 19th to November 1st.”

Need for Speed The Run takes gamers on a heart-pounding, high-stakes race that will have them surrounded by a constant feeling of danger. The heat is on and lethal action unfolds as gamers take on the role of Jack Rourke and battle 200 of the world’s most notorious racers for a $25M cash prize. Weaving through dense urban traffic, rocketing down icy mountain passes and navigating narrow canyons at breakneck speeds, gamers will be challenged in this illicit race for their life. Powered by Frostbite 2, Black Box makes its return and takes the action racing genre to new heights with stunning visuals and car physics that hug the road at insanely fast speeds. In Need for Speed The Run, the cars are hot, the racing is intense and the story will have players at the edge of their seat, delivering this holiday’s hottest action racing game.

Developed by Black Box , an EA studio , Need for Speed The Run will be available November 15, 2011 in North America and November 17, 2011 in Europe for the Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii and Nintendo 3DS.

Related posts:

1. EA and Blackbox announce Need For Speed: The Run
2. Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit demo out today
3. Last chance to play Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit demo

The premise is that Jack is a marked man. Jack has just found a way to save his life. All he needs to do is win an illicit, coast-to-coast race from San Francisco to New York.  3000 miles of driving at breakneck speed is the name of the game.

Related posts:

1. EA and Blackbox announce Need For Speed: The Run
2. GamesCom: Need For Speed: The Run Buried Alive Trailer
3. Crysis 2 story trailer shows New York under siege

Available now worldwide on Xbox LIVE, Annihilation delivers four new multiplayer maps and a mind-blowing Zombies experience for the ultimate online showdown.

Annihilation is the third downloadable content pack release from Activision and Treyarch in support of the worldwide phenomenon and record-setting Call of Duty: Black Ops. Fueled by the breakthrough First Strike and Escalation content packs, the blockbuster title is recognized for having the highest selling add-on content in Xbox LIVE history, according to Microsoft.

The Annihilation content pack’s new maps include:

• · “Hangar 18,” located in the highly classified military base of Area 51, where gamers will fight through experimental weapons labs, the SR-71 test hangar and a mysterious autopsy room.
• · “Drive-In,” where players experience close-quarters combat through a 1960′s American Drive-In theater, complete with a snack shack and a classic arcade.
• · “Silo,” where-in gamers can infiltrate a massive secret Soviet nuclear missile site under construction within a multi-level battleground.
• · “Hazard,” located on the cliff sides of Cuba, gamers can explore a coastal golf course fit for a Dictator, where stocked clubhouses and manicured fairways meet snipers hidden in sand traps.
• · “Shangri-La,” the all-new Zombies experience, transports players into a mythical paradise overrun with the undead. Our Heroes will come face-to-face with new species of zombies and navigate through a treacherous labyrinth of underground caverns, all set within a legendary shrine lost in an exotic jungle.

“Our commitment to delivering great new content for Black Ops continues with Annihilation,” said Treyarch Studio Head, Mark Lamia. “Annihilation offers four of the best Black Ops multiplayer maps to date, and a stunning new Zombies experience laden with deadly traps and dark secrets buried deep within the shifting walls of the infested temple.

Related posts:

1. Call Of Duty: Black Ops’ worst kept secret unveiled
2. Call OF Duty Black Ops First Strike DLC finally comes to PS3
3. Call Of Duty: Black Ops goes 3D on all formats

Well this quarters financial conference calls were no different and they have just changed the wording to get round the red tape of not being able to say that exact term but have still admitted the monetisation of gamers worldwide.

Bobby Kotick, the company’s President and CEO, spoke of an “online subscription service” for Activision’s flagship Call of Duty series last year and Thomas Tippl, the COO & CFO has mentioned “business models to monetise the online gameplay” of the blockbusting FPS as long ago as 2009

Now theres no time for rumurs and Activision have hinted at exactly what there looking toward but not yet supplying the cold hard facts.

Now earlier this year Activision announced the launch of their Beachead studios which are a wholly owned venture. In this weeks post earnings report conference calls they decided to air some of their excitement around beachhead.

Another of Activisions ceo’s, Eric Hirschberg stated “On our last call, I told you we had formed a wholly-owned development studio called Beachhead to lead the creation of an all-new connected digital universe for the Call of Duty franchise,” folowed closely with “This platform will include a suite of services and content plan that will unite and ignite the community like never before

“The platform will support in-game integration and bring online experiences and console play together for the first time,” Hirshberg continued. “It’s been in development for almost two years and we’re very excited about this increase in value and excitement that we can bring to our community through this platform. We look forward to sharing more specifics on this exciting new endeavour in the coming weeks.”

As with any conference call of this nature, There was a Questions session to end which found Market analysts fighting each other to quiz the top brass over beachead involvement with CoD.

One analyst asked how the publisher will be trying to further profitise CoD’s online multiplayer with the new studio’s initiatives, to which Hirshberg responded:

“We haven’t yet released the details of the business model of Beachhead. You’ll certainly see that that is a response to that patterns that you’re talking about: the passion that people have for the game; the amount of time that they’re willing to engage with one another in a connected way. Our goal has been to create an experience that was amplifying enough, and energising enough, and igniting enough for that community to be able to be monetised.”

(anyone think their wallets about to be raped??)

Now remember I mentioned Bobby Kotic earlier? well when he stated that there were going to be subscriptions for cod a’la the WOW franchise, he came against stiff and harsh critcisim from the press.

He seems to have learnt a lesson from his earlier outburst and followed Hirschberg with “I just wanted to backup on the earlier question make sure that I underscore that while we are attempting to deliver new incremental experiences that have yet heretofore been unseen by our players, we are not attempting to monetize or take any experience away that currently comes as part of the value proposition of buying the game.

“I think, very importantly, our community of Call of Duty players is one that we celebrate and you will see a lot of new services and capabilities that will be provided free of charge to all of our customers,”

He did however admit that beachead will be involved with Modern Warfare 3 this winter “It’ll be an integral part to the innovation signature nature of the Call of Duty game that we’re releasing this year,”

It seems there will be more online integration with this one as can be seen at Gamasutra, where there are currently 2 ads one for back end and one for front end development listed under web development positions.

There is one sinister part to these ads though,

“A background in design of consumer ecommerce or interactive websites is required. This role will develop web services to enable highly available, customer facing web applications targeting game communities.”

“Be a part of the Call of Duty franchise! Beachhead is focusing solely on the development of an innovative new digital platform and special services for our Call of Duty community. The platform will support in-game integration and bring online experiences and console play together for the first time.

Now are Activision really wanting to upset gamers everywhere? or will it work?

After all, EA seem to have had a success with the ultimate team feature and also Activision owned company Blizzard own pc based World of Warcraft franchise, the best selling subscription based game ever.

Related posts:

1. Call Of Duty DLC will be timed exclusive until 2012
2. Call Of Duty: Black Ops shatters previous Modern Warfare 2 record
3. Black Ops “First Strike” DLC officially dated

Well for those of you that are still on the fence, we are here to put you straight and let you know that the Escalation map pack with its four new multiplayer maps and one new zombie level.  In fact the pack could perhaps be one of the best Call Of Duty extensions yet and although the price still doesn’t sit that well is getting a lot closer to being worth the asking price.

• Likes

  • Very balanced maps
  • Epic zombie level
  • Beautifully designed

• Dislikes

  • The price!

The Escalation map, as we have already said, sets its stall out with four multiplayer maps, with each one medium in size and provides a good, balanced area of combat with many nooks, crannies and levels to strategise over.  Call Of The Dead on the other hand provides one of the most extensive and comprehensive zombie levels that’s been seen yet and as we have reported earlier has brought in the voice acting talents of some of the most infamous horror actors and actresses including the legendary Danny Treijo (From Dusk Til Dawn) and Sarah Michelle Geller (Buffy).

Zoo

Personally my favourite so far of all of the maps.  Set out in an abandoned Soviet zoo this map provides plenty of natural choke points as well as elevated areas and a monorail overlooking the zoo, providing plenty of top support and plays well in deathmatch and domination especially.

Abandoned animal cages and display areas provide nice and easy routes through the zoo on either side of the main area, some of which can be broken into for hiding places.   There is something about the balance of the map that really appeals and the old school colouring to the zoo adds to the polish.

Hotel

Hotel is a symmetrical map with rooms at either end and the sides with open areas in the middle.  The first time you get a real good look at the map you will immediately scream High Rise from Modern Warfare 2 as it look scarily similar.  Elevators at either end of the hotel provide some fun as you stick claymores and C4 in them with a music room and casino at either end supporting main rooms overlooking the complex giving some tactical advantages if you can hold your area.

The elevators are quite fascinating here and do provide an original way to hold both floors if you communicate effectively.

Convoy

Inspired by Cold War fears of a Soviet invasion, Convoy, again, is a symmetrical map with a main road bridge that has collapsed through the middle.  The middle of the bridge allows for underground travel as you fall onto a bed of missiles to grab access to outer building which include garages, motels amongst other buildings.  The map has a cold and gloomy feel to it but makes for some excellent firefights and provides some classic spots to hold your ground.

Stockpile

The map takes place in a suburban village in Russia that includes a stockpile of arms inside one of the buildings. Stockpile also features a building with two large steel doors that can be opened and closed with switches located next to them on both the inside and outside of the bulding. When using the switch, a siren sounds and alerts the building’s occupants.

Although there are many vantage points and buildings on this map, each area provides enough access as to keep the game flowing and not allow a player to camp down for too long.  This is another medium to large map that offers excellent gameplay for deathmatch, capture the flag and domination in an area that aids in providing a close match.

Well, as you can see and read, the multiplayer maps provide a good set of new areas to learn and fight in.  A nice variation of styles, graphically beautiful but also provide a balanced fighting area with different levels to provide maximum strategic gameplay.  We still have one more map though and something that really starts to make the Escalation map pack good value for money.

Call Of The Dead

Call of the Dead is the largest zombie map yet, with multiple areas. Players spawn on the shore with up to three other teammates, as soon as the players spawn George Romero spawns out of a lighting bolt in a nearby pool. It features a new perk, Deadshot Daiquiri which causes the aim-assist when entering ADS to auto-focus on the head as well as having the effects of Steady Aim and its pro version. Also, when using a sniper rifle, there is no sway.

It has a new wonder weapon, the V-R11 with the ability to transform Zombies back into humans, them running away in fear and getting killed afterward by other zombies. Another new weapon is the Scavenger that shoots explosive bolts, shares its bolt-action trait and its reload with the L96A1.

Call Of The Dead has all the hallmarks of being an absolute classic.  It is tough, it is big, there are a lot of little nuances that create a crazy experience and in places it can be tough as nails.  Add to proceedings some top class voice acting and a level design that mimics an old school zombie film, Call Of The Dead should be renamed Class Of The Dead.

Overall, the Escalation map pack provides some top class maps that extend the life of your muliplayer experience (not that you are bored with it already!) and adds an epic zombie map into the mix too.  That 1200 points spent may still be a little bitter but the offering this time around tastes a lot sweeter than most of the previous offerings in the Call Of Duty franchise.

Related posts:

1. Escalation zombie map – Call Of The Dead to get all start cast
2. Black Ops: First Strike Map Pack – Reviewed (360)
3. Call OF Duty Black Ops First Strike DLC finally comes to PS3

The hottest blockbuster this holiday is a game that takes players on a heart-pounding cross-country race from San Francisco to New York. Launching on November 15, Need for Speed The Run lures players into an underground world of illicit, high-stakes racing. The heat is on – and it isn’t just the fuzz who are after you. Entering the race is just the beginning as you blow across borders, weave through dense urban traffic, rocket down icy mountain passes and navigate narrow canyons at breakneck speeds.

Powered by DICE’s state-of-the-art Frostbite  2 engine, Need for Speed The Run takes the action racing genre to new heights with stunning visuals and car physics that hug the road even at top speeds all built around a gripping storyline. The cars are hot, the racing is intense and the story will have you at the edge of your seat… all the way from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Empire State building.

“This is the year that Need for Speed goes to the next level,” said Jason DeLong, Executive Producer at EA. “We think that Need for Speed The Run is going to surprise people with its intense, thrilling story and big action feel. But the game would be nothing without hot cars and crazy-fast chases. So that is what we’re delivering — explosive racing that will have players flirting with disaster at 200-miles an hour.”

Using the groundbreaking Frostbite 2 engine, Need for Speed The Run will set the bar with unparalleled visual quality and enhanced physics. Need for Speed The Run will also take immersive storytelling to a new level with cutting edge performances that will draw the player into a world with no speed limits, rules or allies. Autolog, the Need for Speed franchise’s revolutionary social competition functionality, is back and better in Need for Speed The Run as it will continue to reinvent how people play games, track career progression and compare game stats.

Developed by Black Box , a studio of Electronic Arts , Need for Speed The Run will be available November 15, 2011 in North America and November 17, 2011 in Europe for the Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii and Nintendo 3DS.

Related posts:

1. EA launches beta for Need For Speed World
2. Need For Speed World goes live in July
3. EA announce backing for Team Need For Speed

First off is the release on April 26th of zombie survival game , Dead Rising 2 which sees you try to survive the horror of a zombie invasion in the most comedic way possible.  Released by Capcom, Dead Rising 2 is available now for £19.99 which for once is bang in line with price points at retail.

Second, and to mark the release of the second map pack, Escalation, Activision unleashes the biggest Call Of Duty yet, Black Ops onto Games On Demand also.  There is no price yet but expect it to come in at £19.99 and will be available from 3rd May.

Other bits and bobs coming through on Xbox Live over the coming couple of weeks are as follows:-

Related posts:

1. Dead Rising 2: Case Zero announced
2. Dead Rising 2: Case Zero released today
3. Video: Dead Rising 2 X10 gameplay

The Call of the Dead zombie level and four all new multiplayer maps make up the second content pack, Escalation, for the record-setting game Call of Duty: Black Ops, launching first on Xbox LIVE on May 3^rd.

Dedicated to creating a Zombie experience like never before, the Call of the Dead storyline is inspired by none other than legendary horror writer and director, George A. Romero, who also stars as himself in the new level.

“Our latest zombie creation, Call of the Dead, is unreal!” says Mark Lamia, Studio Head of Treyarch. “We set out to create an exciting new zombie experience for fans of the genre that takes Zombies to an insane new level.”

“This is Treyarch’s tribute to the legendary George Romero, who truly defined the zombie genre and whose incredible work has been such an inspiration to our team,” says Dave Anthony, Call of Duty: Black Ops Director. “It was an absolute honour to work with such an amazing and talented cast whose passion and energy brought their characters instantly to life. Fans are going to love this.”

In addition to George A. Romero, whose credits include Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead and Land of the Dead, he is joined by Sarah Michelle Gellar, whose credits include the hit TV series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Cruel Intentions; Robert England, best known for originating the role of Freddy Krueger in the successful Nightmare on Elm Street franchise; Michael Rooker, most recently acclaimed for his work on AMC’s horror drama The Walking Dead; and Danny Trejo, who starred in 2010’s action-thriller Machete.

Related posts:

1. Call Of Duty: Black Ops’ worst kept secret unveiled
2. Call OF Duty Black Ops First Strike DLC finally comes to PS3
3. Call Of Duty: Black Ops – First Strike dlc teaser trailer incoming

Released today by Activision, Treyarch’s Call of Duty: Black Ops First Strike adds five all new intense maps spanning the globe.

“Berlin Wall” enlists players across both sides of Cold War. Berlin; “Stadium” delivers fast-paced, close-quarters combat within the backdrop of a sports complex; “Discovery” features an abandoned German outpost set along the coast of Antarctica; “Kowloon” pits players onto the tiered levels of high-rises and rooftops of Kowloon City, Hong Kong.  And for Zombie fans the world over, Call of Duty: Black Ops First Strike also features an all new Zombie experience. The new level, “Ascension,” pits players against hoards of vicious, perk-stealing Zombie Monkeys, flesh-eating Soviet Zombies and more in a trap-filled, Cold War era cosmodrome.

“The First Strike map pack significantly expands the intense experience for the millions of fans enjoying Call of Duty: Black Ops on the PS3 every day,” said Mark Lamia, Studio Head, Treyarch. “Across each of First Strike’s multiplayer maps and the newest Zombie level, we have created unique experiences that will appeal to everyone playing online in the PSN Call of Duty community around the world.”

We reviewed the First Strike DLC when it was first released as a timed exclusive pack on the 360.  Check out what we had to say.

Related posts:

1. Call Of Duty: Black Ops – First Strike dlc teaser trailer incoming
2. Black Ops “First Strike” DLC officially dated
3. Call Of Duty Black Ops First Strike DLC first look