Hideki Kamiya has well proven that he can combine his own level of creativity with his team’s ingenuity to craft a stylish and satisfying game. If you need proof of that, check out the first Devil May Cry or Viewtiful Joe and see if you still aren’t a believer. Or, if you’ve no time for that, consider Bayonetta, his next title being prepped to reach gamers in early 2010.

Little has been revealed about Bayonetta’s story, but it’d be a respectable postulation if one were to assume that it’ll be integral to the gameplay. From what has been made clear through trailers, Bayonetta is a pure-hearted witch who combats evil, and has been awakened after a five hundred year rest to take on that task again. And, as can generally be expected of female protagonists in games, she’s going to do this almost completely naked.

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But Bayonetta won’t be in her birthday suit for the entirety of the game. Her tight, leathery outfit serves as her armor, and so happens to be made of her own hair. In fact, her hair will play an important role in combat, as it’ll be used by players to summon demonic body parts, such as stiletto-clad feet that deliver a brutal kick, huge fists that pound enemies, and a large dragon head, which snaps up even the largest of enemies, severing them easily with its massive jaws.

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These summoned assistant limbs will usually only be present when executing foes, or performing intricate combos. On average, combat will rely on Bayonetta’s flexibility, acrobatics, and guns… but mostly her guns. Aside from those in her hands, Bayonetta will be able to dual-wield guns strapped to her ankles as well, though it’s never really explained exactly how that would work. Logistics aside, having four times the average firepower with any weapon in the game seems like it will certainly be an interesting prospect.

Players will also be able to customize their weapon loadout before each level, so if you’d like to have a shotgun in each hand, and a rocket launcher on each leg before you head out into the big bad world, why not? Though all this talk of firearms shouldn’t dissuade fans of games like God of War; Bayonetta’s being a witch means that she’s particularly skilled in magic, as well. Interspersed between melee attacks, gunshots, and spontaneously appearing fists will be the “Witch Time” feature, which works almost exactly like the bullet time of Max Payne.

In order to use Witch Time, players will have to dodge an incoming attack just as it is about to harm them, at which point everything in the game will slow down, leaving the perfect opportunity to begin a lengthy combo that would have been otherwise possible. As for the kinds of things that will be struggling to crush the loveable witch, players can expect to see goblin-like angels, cherubs and some rather Hellenistic demons. Each enemy will be as diverse in fighting style as in appearance, as some will force players to change up how and when they attack, while others may simply alter Bayonetta’s special attacks a little. And aside from using twin pistols, shotguns, and rocket launchers, players will be able to equip katanas, which will obviously better suit those more interested in close-range combat.

Bayonetta looks as though it will attempt to capitalize on the success of many action games modeled after Devil May Cry. With Kamiya at the helm, it’s hard to doubt the game’s potential, even this far from its release. As we await a gameplay demo and more information, Gameonn will keep you posted leading up to its release sometime in January 2010.

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The race for the NBA championship is yet again nigh, and accompanying it is the traditional new edition of EA’s longstanding NBA Live franchise. Throughout its history, NBA Live has never been able to fully escape its status as an average basketball simulation, but it’s hard to fault EA for continuously trying. Still, despite its various improvements upon previous Live games, Live 10 just isn’t an experience that’s good enough to warrant more than a rental.

At the start of your first game, you’ll likely notice the revamped visuals. The introduction to each game is pretty much the same as always, except this time EA has finally perfected player movements. In Live 09, players zipped around the court swiftly and jerkily, as if startled children hopped up on Red Bull. In Live 10, each player’s every motion is as natural and fluid as his real-life counterpart’s; from taking shots to grabbing rebounds, the realism has definitely improved.

Conversely, nothing else in the game is realistic. Bumping into any player, no matter who you’re controlling, is akin to sprinting headlong into a brick wall—you’ll stumble back, as if reeling from the collision, and more often than not lose control of the ball. But you’d probably lose control, anyway; the ball-handling in NBA Live 10 is frustratingly loose and unmanageable. So even when attacking the rim with the surest of point guards like, say, Tony Parker, the ball is pretty much predestined to come rolling out of the huddled cloud of defenders who are sure to follow.

And the newly oversimplified controls only serve to make things worse. Rather than being mapped to separate buttons, the different kinds of shots—including layups, jump shots, and dunks—have been assigned a single button. This may ensure an easier experience to newcomers, but since there’s no way for the game to tell exactly how you’d like to shoot anymore, it can provide for plenty a flustering experience, especially for series veterans.

The game’s analysts—Marv Albert and Steve Kerr—don’t make things any better, either. They have scarcely any new dialogue, and most of their statements are inconsistent with what’s actually happening in the game. A perfect example of this is an instance in which I found myself in control of Shaquille O’Neal at the top of the key, with his back to the basket. Unable to budge my defender, Sebastian Telfair, I attempted a turn-around, fade-away jumper and, naturally (or at least naturally in NBA Live Land), sunk the shot easily. Immediately, Steve Kerr proceeded to lambast the defense for not knowing that Mr. O’Neal is an especially talented shooter, and it doesn’t take a diehard sports fan to understand how outrageous a statement like that is. In fact, I’m almost ashamed to have witnessed it all firsthand.

But that’s fine; you can pretend the commentary is just white noise in the background. The powerful, jubilant screams from the crowd might even help you with that. It’s just a shame that the crowd is barely ever interested in the game (though that’s somehow become commonplace in NBA Live). When the crowd isn’t whispering amongst themselves, as though unsure of where they are, they’re either erupting with excitement at rather dull moments or completely silent altogether. And it’s worth noting that the moments of utter silence seem largely due to some strange glitch in the audio design.

During the few times that the crowd does react appropriately, it’s usually ruined by their obviously copy/pasted cheers. I mean, how many times do you have to hear “Go, [Insert Team Here], go!” before you realize the contrast in the crowd’s tone when they shout the team’s name isn’t because they all happen to have weird accents? But NBA Live has sort of grown a reputation for copied and pasted audio over the years, so fans of the franchise may well be over it by now.

Every offline game mode is pretty much the same as always, too. You can start up a dynasty, regular season, or your own custom playoffs. Dynasty mode allows you to run your favorite franchise from the position of Head Coach. It’s a long-lasting, deep experience that even allows you to compete in the FIBA world championship in the offseason, which few competitors can claim.

Online play is completely lag-free and impressively expansive. You can play exhibition matches, join clubs for team play, join online leagues, and participate in the Adidas Live Run mode. Adidas Live Run requires that a team of ten players choose their favorite NBA star to compete against other teams in games which are decided by whoever scores twenty-one points first. It seems like a good idea, but in practice it’s pretty hard to get together that many friends that own NBA Live 10.

Dynamic DNA has again been integrated into Live, as well. This time the Dynamic Season mode has been added, which will let you track upcoming and recent NBA games that you can play or replay. In this way, you can either relive the glory of an incredible victory or change the fate of your favorite ball club. It’s yet another of EA’s cool ideas, but it’s hard to tell whether this one will or won’t actually work out. We’ll have to wait and see when the season begins.

Overall, NBA Live 10 is a rather tempting offer. There’s so much to the package that it seems like it can’t be such a bad purchase. But padding out an average game doesn’t make it any better or worse; it simply adds more. If you’re a fan of the Live franchise, there’s no reason not to give this game a try, but if you’ve never touched a basketball game in your life, you may want to rent NBA Live 10 alongside NBA 2K10 before you decide. NBA Live 10 puts up a regular old C.

Grade: C

Turbine has released a trailer for their upcoming mini-expansion, to their smash hit MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online: Siege of Mirkwood. Unlike their last expansion The Mines of Moria, Siege of Mirkwood is much smaller in scale and will be available only as a download for $19.99 and launch on December 1st, 2009.

Fans of the Lord of the Rings novels will recognize Mirkwood from The Hobbit, where hobbit Bilbo Baggins and the band of traveling dwarves were captured by giant spiders. It’s also the place where Aragorn captured Gollum, as mentioned in The Fellowship of the Ring.

In terms of the game, Siege of Mirkwood will pick up where Mines of Moria left off, with players leaving the claustrophobic underground dwarven caverns swarming with orcs in favor of a clammy, desolate forest teeming with new evil things. Sweet. SoM will feature new quests, a 12-man multiboss raid, smaller group instances, and the skirmish system, in which players can customize their instances and even have customizable NPC helpers.

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The Jay-Z CD is essentially a “greatest hits” compilation, featuring one hit song from each of his 11 albums, but also includes “Brooklyn Go Hard”, which is on the Notorious film soundtrack.

Meanwhile, Eminem’s CD focuses on offering newer, rare music samplings including a brand new, unreleased track called “Taking My Ball”. Says Mr. Slim Shady himself, “The tracks we put on this disc are mostly overlooked or rarer favorites of mine from all different parts of my career.”

Here’s the complete track list of both Jay-Z and Eminem’s DJ Hero CDs.

DJ Hero Renegade album – JAY-Z’s disc track list:
Ain’t No N***a – JAY-Z Featuring Foxy Brown
Where I’m From – JAY-Z
Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem) – JAY-Z
Jigga My N***a – Ruff Ryders Featuring JAY-Z
I Just Wanna Love U (Give it 2 Me) – JAY-Z
Izzo (H.O.V.A.) – JAY-Z
03’ Bonnie & Clyde – JAY-Z Featuring Beyoncé Knowles
Dirt Off Your Shoulder – JAY-Z
Show Me What You Got – JAY-Z
Roc Boys (And the Winner Is)… – JAY-Z
Brooklyn Go Hard – JAY-Z Featuring Santigold
D.O.A. (Death of Auto Tune) – JAY-Z

DJ Hero Renegade album – EMINEM’s disc track list:
Taking My Ball – EMINEM
Say Goodbye to Hollywood – EMINEM
Soldier – EMINEM
The Re-Up – EMINEM & 50 Cent
Rabbit Run – EMINEM
Get U Mad – EMINEM
Bad Guys Always Die – Dr. Dre & EMINEM
Public Enemy No. 1 – EMINEM
Say What You Say – EMINEM Featuring Dr. Dre
Lose Yourself – EMINEM
Hey Lady – Obie Trice Featuring EMINEM
One Shot 2 Shot – EMINEM Featuring D-12

To the dismay of many shooter fans (and fans of Valve in general) Left 4 Dead 2 is only a little over a month ahead of us. Taking the boycotting and claims of it being a glorified expansion pack in stride, Valve asserts that Left 4 Dead 2 is not only a stand-alone game, but one that trumps the original Left 4 Dead in every way imaginable. That in mind, the only definitive thing which can substantiate either side of the argument’s claims is information, and Valve has not left us out in the cold in regards to that.

Though this sequel only comes a year after the first game’s release, it has been fitted with five new campaigns, four new characters, a multitude of new weaponry, a new-and-improved AI Director, a beefed up game engine, and all new types of zombies. Everyone loves more zombies, right? Well Gameonn has a more in-depth look at it all for you.
The new campaigns are probably at the forefront of any prospective buyer’s mind. After all, like the first game, both Left 4 Dead 2’s multiplayer and single player will use the campaigns as their crux. So far the only ones we’ve gotten any information on are The Parish, Dark Carnival and Swamp Fever, which all look as though they’ll contrast each other sharply enough to keep the experience varied as well as set the game apart from its predecessor. For example, Dark Carnival is vastly different from any level in the original Left 4 Dead, all of which took place either in an urban area or in the woods.

The four new characters—Coach, Nick, Ellis and Rochelle—will find themselves wandering somewhat aimlessly down a path from Savannah, Georgia to New Orleans, Louisiana to escape the horde. The monsters which comprise the horde consist of old friends from the first game as well as three new special infected: the Charger, Spitter, and Jockey. The Charger can best be described as what a pissed off tank would be like… with one arm. The Spitter seems to be similar to the Smoker in that he lies in wait and springs a trap that is usually more annoying than harmful; the Spitter just spews flaming liquid on the ground in order to block off a path for a short time. The Jockey takes after the Hunter in that it jumps out of hiding onto an enemy, but this special infected takes control of its prey in order to steer him or her into the zombie horde.

Aside from the three new special infected, a new species of infected called the Uncommon Common have been added to the game as well. These infected have been aptly named; they’re the same as any common infected, the only difference being that they have certain unique attributes. One example of an Uncommon Common infected would be the Hazmat zombies, which, while immune to fire, prove just as susceptible to plain old bullets. Or frying pans. Or anything, really.

That would bring us to the new armaments. Valve claims Left 4 Dead 2 will pack heat the likes of which most zombies have never been pulverized with before. Amongst these armaments are the American baseball bat, katana, fire axe and frying pan. At first, the idea of dully chopping at a gathering of zombies, especially in Left 4 Dead, may come off as unappealing, but once you get a look at the new in-game engine you’ll quickly come around. Upgraded to better exaggerate the look and feel of hacking into a body and leaving limbs limply hanging by its few remaining tendons, the Source engine looks as though it will be put to its best use here.

Now that all of the important aspects of this sequel have been laid out, all that’s left is for you to decide whether it’s worth purchasing or not. It’s fair to say that both sides of the argument have their own share of critical points to bring, though none of that seems like it will prevent Left 4 Dead 2 from being released this November 17th. We’ll just have to reserve our judgment on the game until then.

What do you get when you mix Psychonauts and Doom, and make the game an arena shooter? Well… probably nothing particularly savory, but definitely something resembling Dreamkiller. Developed by Mindware Studios, this is a game that has flown under the radar for the most part, but has a premise that is unmistakably unique, and should catch the eye of many a fan of innovative titles.

The plot is set in a world where one especially gifted psychologist, Alice Drake, has found herself delving into the minds of her patients in an attempt to fight off their inner demons… literally. Much like Double Fine’s Psychonauts, each mind that is breached is inhabited by an entirely separate world where the rules of our reality don’t apply. This is where the monsters that embody the worst fears of her patients wreak havoc, and so this is where Alice will fell them with unrelenting brutality.

Dreamkiller’s story will be conveyed mostly through artistic stills rather than cutscenes. The colorful, detailed images really give an interest way of seeing the world outside of the minds of the patients, and seem as though they will definitely contrast with gameplay in a good way. For now, Mindware has only made it known that Alice will start to investigate a trend she’s seeing, a sort of a thread connecting all of her patients and their mental instabilities. Whatever the game may hold, it’s certainly an intriguing prospect, especially so close to the game’s release.

What Dreamkiller’s real focus will be throughout the entire experience is first-person action reminiscent of old school arena-style shooters like Doom. Rather than having players walk through corridor after corridor with the option of simply rushing past enemies to get to the next objective, Dreamkiller will force players to fight, locking them in rooms where enemies will spawn and swarm like locusts in a cornfield.

This is the major draw of the game. If you aren’t into games that rarely allow for lulls in the action, you’ll probably not find Dreamkiller to be too interesting. Players will be rewarded for killing, as well. Enemies drop dream catchers, which either increase health or add to the experience points, which are used to upgrade any weapon’s features and physical attributes. The real issue will be choosing which weapon to use, as Alice can only hold one gun at a time. Aside from the primary gun she’s holding, she can shoot flames from her hands and cause a telekinetic blast to erupt and knock enemies away.

The multiplayer aspect of Dreamkiller has yet to be explained in detail, but so far it has only been described as allowing up to four players to battle competitively. As far as shooters go, that doesn’t seem as though it’ll be deep enough to tickle the fancies of those who enjoy games like Halo 3. But there’s still no telling whether competitively means players will fight each other, like a standard death match, or fight together in competition for the better score, like ODST’s Firefight mode.

At this point, there’s still a ton to learn about Dreamkiller. With only a few weeks between now and its release on October 26^th, the guessing game rages on over whether it’ll be worth players’ time or not. Always up on the latest regarding any title, Gameonn will keep you posted leading up to its launch.

If you’ve ever played any Sims game, you’ll know that the characters speak in a nonsensical, fictional language called Simlish. This extends to music featured in the game. For example, a Sim listening to the radio will hear musicians singing in Simlish. The Sims 2 took this a step further and featured famous artists such as the Pussycat Dolls, Katy Perry, and Barenaked Ladies singing their hits in Simlish.

The Sims 3 continues this fun tradition. EA has announced that the release of the expansion pack World Adventures this November, players will hear music from a new group of real-life musicians who will translate their music into Simlish, including Grammy winner and country music artist LeAnn Rimes.

“My friends have told me about The Sims for years and I’ve also heard Natasha Bedingfield and Black Eyed Peas versions of their songs in Simlish, so I was thrilled to be in on the fun,” said Rimes. “It’s so cool to have my own music in such an iconic game.”

Here’s a list of artists who will be making an appearance music-wise on the Sims 3 World Adventures.
• LeAnn Rimes – “You’ve Ruined Me”
• Fefe Dobson – “I Want You”
• Katie Melua – “If the lights go out”
• Madina Lake – “Lets Get Outta Here”
• Manchester Orchestra – “I’ve Got Friends”
• Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head – “Me + Yr Daughter”
• Esme Denters – “Outta Here”
• Hot Chelle Rae – “Say”
• Audrye Sessions – “Turn Me Off”
• Metalkpretty – “Wake Up, Wake Up”
• Evan Taubenfeld – “Pumpkin Pie”
• Friday Night Boys – “Can’t Take That Away”
• Cassie Steele – “Summer Nights”
• Broken Hearts College – “Na Na Na”

Previously announced artists and songs featured in the game include:
• Nelly Furtado – “Manos al Aire”
• Pixie Lott – “Mama Do”
• Stefanie Heinzmann – “No One (Can Ever Change My Mind)”
• Matt & Kim – “Daylight”
• Young Punx – “Juice and Sim”

This week, dynamic detective duo Sam and Max will call Xbox Live Arcade their new home as the award-winning series Sam and Max Beyond Time and Space debuts on that console. Starting tomorrow, all five episodes will be available as one bundle and cost 1600 Microsoft points. The game is the sequel to Sam and Max Save the World, which has also been released on XBLA.

The XBLA version of Sam and Max Beyond Time and Space will include Acheivements, HD graphic support, subtitles in various European languages (German, French, Italian, and Spanish), and a special picture pack.

When first announced, Bethesda’s next big project was described as more of a tactical shooter than a linear military game. They gave it the name Rogue Warrior and, though it has the same title, it doesn’t take influence from Richard Marcinko’s autobiography at all. Rather, it draws from his fictional novels detailing different experiences that a US Navy SEAL might go through. So with that influence to build on, there’s good reason to have faith in the prospect of this title’s success.

Rogue Warrior will follow Richard and his squad of SEALs as they carry out a mission to infiltrate a North Korean submarine base. Their goal is to collect information on North Korea’s nuclear launch readiness and relay this back to the US. Unfortunately for the squad, as the mission is underway, North Korea attempts a full-scale invasion of South Korea, igniting a war that has long been put off through international diplomacy. With all of this unfolding, there is no way that the US or anyone else can safely extract Richard and his team, making their next mission to get out of the country in one piece.

Since its initial revealing, a lot has changed about the game. Ditching the old idea of tactical action, Bethesda has made clear the fact that their new vision is for Rogue Warrior to be a straightforward, fast-paced action game. Most of the time, players will travel from area to area, staying low and using one of the game’s stealth takedowns to eliminate enemies. But when the jig is up, players shouldn’t have much trouble mowing down enemies left and right, as Senior Producer Aaron Guy has described the game as resembling an eighties action movie.

In an interview with Gamespot, Guy told them “[We’re] trying to kind of get across an eighties feel and reference eighties action movies. And to get that vibe into the game without seeming kind of clichéd is a big thing.” All we can do is hope that they can truly integrate their proposed theme successfully. Amongst the big names dropped (aside from Marcinko) was Mickey Rourke. Rourke, an icon of the eighties, will be providing the voice acting for Richard’s character in the game. “The audience for this game in particular has grown up in the eighties and are going to really appreciate some of the references we have got,” said Guy when describing the target audience for the title.

In regards to multiplayer, Rogue Warrior hopes to bring something both ambitious and entirely new to the table. Implementing a setup which allows them to break up each playable map into tiles, the game will randomize which tiles from which maps will be added together. In that way, very rarely will one ever play in exactly the same place. It’s definitely a cool idea, but one must wonder if it will actually work out in terms of keeping action exciting, or just annoy shooter fans who pride themselves on learning the layout of every accessible area in competitive multiplayer.

Rogue Warrior seems as though it will oddly blend new ideas with old-school gameplay and themes. By doing so, it may either provide for an experience unlike any other or one riddled with corny clichés and confusing gameplay elements. Whatever may happen, we’ll keep an open mind leading up to the game’s release on December 1st.

As of late, the games industry has somehow found itself in a rut of numerous minor upgrades having the price tag of full retail games. In terms of consoles, the PSP Go and DSi are the worst offenders. As for software, the recently released Halo 3: ODST is the first that comes to mind. So now that we’ve called out the most obvious perpetrators of this heinous crime in game marketing, what does it even mean to recognize what’s going on?

Well on the one hand, it might mean that our hardware and forms of physical content are starting to fall behind in the constant, high-speed race that is the digital age. These days sports games are updated daily, multiplayer games are patched weekly, and adventure games have new episodes every few months or so. For those of us without an internet connection (all three of you), the only way to keep up is to wait for Game of the Year or Premium editions of games, which normally come out a year after the initial game’s release with all of the downloadable content available on a disc.

Considering that, and the fact that most Game of the Year and Premium editions cost full retail price, it’s hard to say that ODST oversteps its bounds by being priced so high. The backbreaking factor which sets this package apart from others is that ODST’s campaign isn’t downloadable, and it doesn’t feature the original Halo 3 campaign. To better help you understand this I’ll use another game in contrast.

When the Fallout 3 Game of the Year edition hits stores this holiday season, it will include the original game along with all of its downloadable content and updates. That means the Broken Steel expansion (which spans about five hours), Operation Anchorage (two or three), The Pitt (about four), Lookout Point (up to eight), and Mothership Zeta (three or four) will all come packaged with the game. Conversely, if you bought the original game within a few months of its launch, and all of these expansions, you’ve spent nearly twice as much as you would on the Game of the Year edition. Now compare that to Halo 3: ODST, which only includes a four-to-six hour campaign, a Firefight mode with no matchmaking, and the same multiplayer and maps from the original Halo 3.

It doesn’t balance out, does it?

Similarly, the PSP Go and DSi are examples of hardware trying to update at the rate of digital information. While the Nintendo DS Lite only allowed players to play Game Boy Advanced and Nintendo DS games, the DSi will let players listen to music, view pictures and take pictures, and download games to their handheld via its online capabilities. Strangely, the upgrade calls for the loss of the ability to play Game Boy Advanced games, which probably won’t be a hugely missed feature. It’s still hard to shake the feeling that a simple firmware update might’ve saved customers the hassle of going out and buying an entirely new handheld, though. Oh well.

As for Sony’s new device, there’s really not much to say about it. It’s the same old PSP were it smaller, had a slide-up screen, and couldn’t play UMD games. Though it really caters to those who need portability above all else, there’s no way for current owners of the PSP to upgrade to the PSP Go without losing all of their UMD games in the process. So now there’s just one big question: who is Sony trying to sell this failure of a console to? One can only take a quick stab in the dark at the possible answers.

All of this in mind, recognizing that hardware is struggling to keep up with software now may help us to predict their relationship in the future, and what may unfold along the path. Most experts predict a huge shift in the paradigm that will be marked by the industry’s decision to abandon physical content altogether in favor of digital data not too far from now. For those who might like to speed that process along, or to prevent it from ever happening, understanding the evolution of gaming and information may be the first big step. Until we know for sure what will happen in the next generation of home consoles, we’ll have to keep a critical eye on games like Left 4 Dead 2, which has already been boycotted because of the belief that it should be downloadable-only.