Call of Duty Black Ops, arguably one of the biggest entertainment launches of this year, is coming out November 9th. Activision released the launch trailer to wet your lips on.

Enjoy!

This week the team talks about Telltale's Back to the Future release date, Enslaved DLC, PSP Go price cut, Lara Croft free DLC, Shinji Mikami joins Bethesda along with Kane and Lynch 2, DJ Hero 2, Killzone 3 beta, Rock Band 3 and much more!



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News:
Go Back to the Future
PSP Go Price Cut
Enslaved Pigsys DLC
Dead Rising 2 Ships 2 Million Units
Playstation Rewards
Lara Croft DLC
PS3 Sales
Playstation Phone Leak
Microsoft Sales
Kinect Beta Testers Get to Keep Kinect
XBL Lock up with Kinect
Shinji Joins Bethesda
Keiji Leaves Capcom


Games:
Pinball FX 2
Kane and Lynch 2
Killzone 3 Beta
Super Secret Beta
DJ Hero 2
Bloody Good Time
Vanquish
Game Dev Story
Hypership Out of Control
EA Sports MMA
Costume Quest
Rock Band 3
Blacklight: Tango Down
PES 2011


Other:
Kinect Sold Out
Kinect Launch Titles
Kinect Adventures River Raft
Hypership Out of Control onStart Video
Part 1 of Back to the Future Free
Voice of Marty
Costume Quest Review
Vanquish Impressions
SAW II IGN Review


Twitters:
Ronnie: @RonyDean
Andreas: @RacingFreak

Check the onPause team Twitter stream out!

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Email us: onCAST@onPause.org

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Just in time for Halloween, Konami sent over some brand new - hot off the press - NeverDead screens. Go ahead, try and don't be scared...exactly, impossible!

This morning Namco confirmed the previously mentioned Pigsy DLC which will have players control the 'unique' NPC from the main game. The DLC will also allow for the game and DLC to be played in full 3D.

You already know how much we loved Enslaved and its characters, that's why we are excited for some Pigsy action.

There is no specific date yet, only 'later this year' for 10 bucks on PSN and XBL. Check out the teaser video and some more details below:

Pigsy, the comical porcine character known for his one-line zingers and questionable hygiene, finally gets his time in the spotlight. The Titan Graveyard is a lonely place and Pigsy really needs some companionship beyond the mechs that roam the area. He dreams of the perfect woman and embarks on a mission to build one from scratch using scrap parts he finds around the junkyard. In contrast to the main game which features strong, capable Monkey as the playable character, Pigsy is much more of a lover than a fighter. Pigsy’s gameplay will have a completely different gameplay dynamic, with a focus on stealth and sharp-shooting. He has plenty of tricks up his sleeves including a far-reaching hookshot, trusty sniper rifle, various grenades and devices, Trouble Vision eye piece and the aid of his trusty mechanical sidekick Truffles.

Today ZeniMax Media announced that Resident Evil creator and all around awesome guy, Shinji Mikami is joining the company by ways of being aquired.

Mikami's development studio 'Tango Gameworks' was purchased by ZeniMax allowing for Mikami to achieve great freedom and support to make future AAA games.

This morning Capcom proudly announced a great achievement. Their latest zombie killer, Dead Rising 2, shipped 2 Million units worldwide.

The publisher praised their newly acquired studio in Vancouver for the great collaboration between the Canadian development house and Capcom HQ.

Our review is still incoming people, stay tuned.

Another week, another seven new maps for all of you to check out! This weeks post really shows the power of Forge and what people are able to do with it. Everyone is really going to enjoy this weeks maps.

If you have a map you would like us to play or include in the next map post, post a link to it and some pictures in the comments.

City Streets - XL - Download Here


Serenity - Small - Download Here


Castle Gulch - Large - Download Here


Intertwined - Large - Download Here


Engine Room G7117 - Small - Download Here


Relic - Large - Download Here


Caretaker - Large - Download Here

The name Double Fine and Tim Schafer are mostly typically associated with full scale video games titles such as the classics Monkey Island and Psychonauts as well as most recently Brutal Legend. The latter game was appreciated by some but rejected by most gamers and critics. According to Schafer a lot of time and money went down the drain with the risky project. Double Fine was not going to make a sequel and instead, decided to create four bite-sized downloadable games. Costume Quest is the first game to hit Xbox LIVE and Playstation Network.

The premise of the game is that on Halloween night, a brother and sister set out to go trick or treating in their neighborhood. What seems to be a simple and fun night turns into an adventure when the player’s brother or sister, depending on who is controlled, is abducted by a green, ugly monster who is one of many, raiding the houses for candy. That’s what monsters do, steal candy and abduct cute, dressed up children, naturally. From that point on players set out on a quest to gain enough candy in order to open the barriers and follow their sibling. Along the way players will go from house to house and either find a person giving them candy or are encountered by a monster. In the latter case a turn based battle is initiated requiring players to use special abilities to defeat the opponent on the other side. While the battle, which can have multiple party members on both sides, is turn based at heart it still requires quick time events to succeed. During the fight the player and members of his or her party will turn into giant robots, the statue of liberty or knights in shining armor depending on which costume is currently equipped. The special abilities which include healing and shields are linked to the specific costumes and can be upgraded throughout the game. Players will come across other trick or treaters along the way who will join their cause. When roaming the world players can switch costumes and utilize their features to pass obstacles such as ramps with wheelie shoes or waterfalls with shields in order to acquire a hidden item.

Additionally, players will complete tasks such as finding hiding children throughout the world, gather items for new costumes which are in ‘hidden’ chests and bob for apples or retrieve things for NPCs. At first this cute and simplified RPG style game with an adorable art style and Halloween theme was very fun, humorous and refreshing but lacked the introduction of new things to do in the later areas of the game which are only 3 in total. What seems to be fun at first quickly becomes repetitious. Costume Quest also did not have any voice acting which was traded for speech bubbles which moved along a little bit too quick at times.


Costume Quest is a good game that stopped short from being a great one. Tim Schafer and team created a very fun and refreshing title that could have went all the way if there was just a little bit more substance. The lack of voice acting, a simplified turn based battle system and missing quest variety harp on the game experience. I wanted there to be just a little bit more meat and depth. Regardless of the lacking or missing features though, Costume Quest is the perfect game for a weekend of fun and is priced appropriately at 15 Dollars. I am looking forward to a similar Double Fine game sometime soon and if it fills the holes I pointed out in this review it should be an instant purchase.

Score: 7.5 / 10

Costume Quest was developed by Double Fine and published by THQ for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 on October 20th. A review code of the retail version was provided to us by THQ for reviewing purposes.

This morning Sony has sent out an official press release detailing the upcoming Playstation Rewards program which will 'reward' loyal PSN users with items like: "Exclusive PSN avatars that display member status in the program, dynamic themes and PlayStation Home content, as well as the opportunity to participate in members-only sweepstakes and giveaways, the first of which is an all expenses paid trip to be PlayStation’s guest at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas."

The program will have 3 levels of engagement as Sony calls it, “Select”, “Pro” and “Legendary”. The status is determined by things like playing new games, purchasing PSN content and so on.

Full press release below:

PlayStation®Rewards Gives Loyal PlayStation® Fans a New Way to Earn Exclusive Status and Recognition
October 27, 2010 – Sony Computer Entertainment America, LLC (SCEA) today unveiled its new loyalty program, PlayStation®Rewards, designed to give PlayStation® fans in the United States the opportunity to gain exclusive status, recognition, and rewards based on a variety of PlayStation-centric activity they engage in across the PlayStation ecosystem.

PlayStation Rewards will begin as an invitation-only beta, including early adopters of PlayStation®Plus and Gamer Advisory Panel (GAP) members, who will have the chance to help shape the program and get a head start on obtaining exclusive rewards. The full public launch is scheduled for Spring 2011, when registered PlayStation®Network fans will be able to join the free loyalty program. During the beta phase, the program will be focused on rewarding activity from PlayStation®3 (PS3™) owners, eventually adding in PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) owners over time.

There are three reward tiers for PlayStation Reward members to attain, consisting of “Select,” “Pro” and “Legendary,” in increasing order. Members advance through each tier based on their level of engagement and actions across the PlayStation ecosystem, including playing new games for the first time, buying content from PlayStation Network in PlayStation®Store or PlayStation®Home, downloading movies and TV shows, or engaging in communication with PlayStation like taking surveys, for example. As their status increases, so do the rewards. Members can go to their profile page and look at the reward progress meter to find their current status level and see how close they are to reaching the next level.

Everyone who participates in PlayStation Rewards has the opportunity to earn a wide range of exclusive rewards. Some examples include exclusive PSN avatars that display member status in the program, dynamic themes and PlayStation Home content, as well as the opportunity to participate in members-only sweepstakes and giveaways, the first of which is an all expenses paid trip to be PlayStation’s guest at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

“PlayStation’s most important asset is its loyal fans and PlayStation Rewards gives us an opportunity to show our appreciation for their amazing passion and desire to continually evolve the gaming world,” said Susan Panico, senior director, PlayStation Network. “We can’t thank our fans enough for the feedback they have given us over the years and look forward to even more dialog to help us evolve PlayStation Rewards to make it the best possible loyalty program it can be.”

Frictional Games has created a spine tingling First Person Adventure/Horror that will keep any player involved. As the name implies, Amnesia: The Dark Descent is told from the perspective from Daniel. And also, since this game is an Adventure/Horror game, it will draw comparisons to the several Resident Evil and Silent Hills games that have come before it. Although, the biggest tilt in gameplay is the lack of weapons to defend yourself. This will require the player to rely on much more civil courses of action as the story unfolds.

With introductions aside, I am probably one of the biggest babies when it comes to a scary game. Resident Evil was frightful. Silent Hill was frightful. Fatal Frame was frightful. With that, I forced myself to continue through this game. Which, incidentally, is exactly what Frictional Games intended. As I started the game, the tutorial screen click by and the introduction told me not worry about saving, not worry about beating the game, and not worry about fighting. I had to rely on being hidden, or even run away from unsafe situations. So, that is perfect for me.



At the opening screen, the protagonist of the story is telling himself to remember. He must remember. Focus. His name is Daniel. He is Daniel. You infer from the monologue that he has forced himself to forget something. That something to later be discovered and the reason itself will also be revealed. Other than this internal monologue, Daniel will discover journal notes, diaries, and mementos to help his memory return. While venturing and looting through the castle, you find Tinder Boxes and a lantern. These become vital to survival.

Since the game outright lets the player know that there won't be fighting, whit and resources become the only means for survival. That being said, I asked myself, "What do I do when something attacks me?" I soon found out. Short answer, light something and solve the puzzle. The main and primary use of the tinder boxes and lantern are to light your path. But, there are a limited number of tinder boxes and lantern oil potions, so there is a constant struggle between the dark and light. The reason there is such a struggle is because of what is chasing Daniel. It is only know as "the Shadow." The shadow never takes a physical form. But, it leaves behind a blobby gelatin that can only be described as villainous Jell-o. The is important to know because besides the character having health, Amnesia also introduces the "Insanity" stat.

If you spend too much time in the dark, you will start going insane. If you see paranormal acts, you will going even more insane. If you start at monsters for too long, you will go even more insane. If you solve a puzzle, you will become sane. The insanity gauge functions like a stealth system. While you are completely sane, you are much less visible to monsters when you hide. When you have completely lost your mind you body is convulsing and monsters and much more likely to spot you. For me, this was more fun to watch my insane meter rise and see what it said.

Graphically speaking, the game does seem a little dated. It reminds me of some Xbox original launch titles. This is by no means a bash, or a burn. Merely an observation. And, to be very honest, I'm not the most critical person when it comes to graphical intensity. I grew up on wonderful titles that has 8-bits of graphic. So, this aspect of a game doesn't sway me one way or the other. But, the creativity of the monsters and castle environment were very impressive. I found myself very lost in the room just by sorting through all of the items and hoping to find anything of use.

Speaking of items, I didn't listen to the now weapon rule for too long. While moving with the basic WASD, I would grab any interactive object I could and carry it in front of me for as long as I could. Whether that be a chair, flask, bottle, book, crate, and just about anything else. Most times I would lose the object because of the random spinning I would do to make sure nothing was sneaking up behind me. Thankfully, the games controls of very smooth. I've run into several first person games where either the X-axis was to slow and the Y-axis was balls to the wall fast.

Just like most horror games, the sound and ambiance is what makes the game suspenseful. And in true fashion to its predecessors, I probably peed myself eighteen times before the 3rd room. And, again, the game actually starts in its tutorial by telling you to go into a dark room to play the game and put on headphones to makes sure you get the full effect. So, that is what I did. And in a matter of moments, i was sucked in and completely scared.

Even though I may hate myself later for playing horror games, I always find myself happy when I get to complete their puzzles and make it to the next section. Amnesia: The Dark Descent is no exception. Really enjoyed the game. Really enjoyed the story. And really enjoyed having me bladder release without me wanting it to. Only downfall to the whole game is that it seems a little short. You get sucked in quick and then see it end. It isn't an out of the blue ending or anything. Just really want to keep going.

Score: 7/10

Amnesia: The Dark Descent was developed by Frictional Games and released for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X operating system on September 8th. A copy of the Windows version was provided to us by Frictional Games for reviewing purposes.

It seems like it was ages ago when Crystal Dynamics released Lara Croft as a downloadable game on PSN, XBL and PC. While we haven't heard about the PSN and PC versions, GM Darrell Gallagher announced that the Xbox 360 game will receive free DLC and the long awaited co-op patch tomorrow.

The first DLC pack entitled ‘All the trappings’ will be given away for free for 30 days to XBLA players. The pack offers up a brand new area to conquer and features a combination of puzzle, exploration and combat experiences.

So get in now folks!

Marty? MARTYYYYYYYYY!

Okay everybody, I am glad to break the news to the loyal onPause fanbase. Telltale's Back to the Future game will drop its first episode this December. Pre-Orders are a go and more details can be found on the studio's official website where the news broke this morning.

The game can be purchased for MAC, PC, PS3 and the iPad for a futuristic 24.95 and should be well worth your buck. Just ask Biff how valuable a time machine can be. Don't forget to grab the almanac on your way out.

Some convincing concept art within the Uncharted universe led to Amazon France listing Uncharted 3: World of Deceit on the retailers website today. Los Angeles based designer Albert Ng did this concept art a few months ago and both him and the studio straightened the story out before.

Amazon France did not hear about this and listed the game for pre-order which has since been removed. If Albert's art was good enough to convince Amazon shouldn't that get him a job at Naughty Dog?

For our first video version of onStart, me and my brothers play Hypership Out of Control, an Xbox LIVE Indie Game for 80 MSP. Check the video out after the jump!

This morning news agency Reuters broke the news that Sony will be officially cutting the price of the PSPgo this month. The previously 249 USD priced handheld will drop by 50 bucks to 199 USD while Japan's drop will be more significant. The Go will be 16,800 yen, down from 26,800 yen.

I am not sure how much of an impact this cut will have with Kinect and Move being the big gaming purchases this holiday season and the 3DS on the horizon. It might just me another confirmation of the PSP 2.

EA announced this morning that Criterion Games' Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit reboot will receive a worldwide demo this week on PSN and XBLA.

The demo will hit on October 26th and include the new Autolog feature for fans to try. The game is due to release this November.

Go crash some beautiful cares tomorrow and let us know if you will buy it!

This week it is just Andreas and Ronnie discussing RAGE release date, Bad Company 2 Vietnam DLC cost, Steam now has 30 million users, along with Game Dev Story, Singularity, Fallout: New Vegas and Costume Quest.



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News:
Team Fortress 2 Pays Community
RAGE to Release September 2011
Medal of Honor to get Free DLC
Xbox.com has Been Updated
Exclusive Xbox NEw Vegas DLC
Bad Company 2 Action Trailer - And Price
Steam has 30 Million Users


Games:
Singularity
Game Dev Story
Fallout: New Vegas
Halo: Reach
Minecraft
Super Secret Beta
MMA
Super Scribblenauts
Costume Quest


Other:
Quantum Theory
Giant Bomb
Velocity Girl
Black Ops Leaked Footage
Time Shift
New Vegas Moonwalking Dog


Twitters:
Ronnie: @RonyDean
Andreas: @RacingFreak

Check the onPause team Twitter stream out!

Linkout.onPause.org
Email us: onCAST@onPause.org

Sponsors:
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Remember to subscribe on iTunes!!!

Valve has announced that Team Fortress 2 Community members are receiving their first ryalty patments from the recently introduced peer-to-peer marketplace sales. Community members can sell items and receive royalties.

The first 5 members were paid today and received between 39,000 and 47,000 Dollars in royalties. The funds were planned to be deposited to their PayPal accounts which exceeded the limit. Two of the five members actually flew in to receive their checks directly.

Looks like the marketplace actually sells some items.

Rock Band 3 is out next week and includes loads of new features including the new Pro-Guitar mode. Check out the trailer below showing off the new MadCatz’s Fender Mustang guitar.

A brand new trailer of DICE's upcoming Vietnam DLC for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 has just hit the interwebs! This trailer features the Phu Bai Valley map, one of four new maps coming to BC2: Vietnam.

The Vietnam DLC will cost $14.99 and releases later this year on PSN, XBL and PC.

The FIFA series from EA Sports and sports games in general get annual releases no matter what, with that comes criticism and monotony. For most games in the genre, that means derivative experiences with roster updates and the current year on the box art along with the sports’ biggest stars. While this was true for some FIFA games in the past, FIFA 11 makes leaps forward that might be overlooked by casual fans but impacts experienced players.

I should preface this review with the fact that I am a massive soccer fan who plays every entry into the series and follows the sport religiously. I grew up with the ‘beautiful game’ on the pitch and on TV and computer screens since the mid nineties.

I said that FIFA 11 makes a massive leap forward and although it might sound like a back-of-the-box tagline, I truly meant it. Last year’s FIFA made much needed improvements over FIFA 09 which had hampered the game experience quite a bit, streamlined most of the menus and the Be-A-Pro mode but still had noticeable bugs on the pitch and in the manager mode. FIFA 11 took the best parts of FIFA 10 and improved upon them with a big focus on gameplay enhancements. Players now move on a true 360 degree scale as opposed to just a few directions allowing for smother controls and better looking games as well. The physics and animations have been vastly overhauled also, players now jostle for the ball much more realistically and bigger players will win battles with smaller, lighter ones. The player models in general have increased allowing for a wide range in variation of body styles which are taken into account as well as their skill level. Again, a larger and stronger defender generally wins headers but has a lesser touch on the ball and moves more awkwardly than a quick forward like Lionel Messi.

The number of animations has been increased and improved dramatically. This shows especially when a defender bends his body out of the way of a balled played across the defensive, intended for the next player. Other great examples are players being off balance after a tackle that just missed his legs or off the dribble passes and skill moves. FIFA 11 is a well animated game. Dribbling down the field with a skilled midfielder of forward is an absolute joy, the moves look and feel much smoother than in previous games and are incredibly satisfying when pulled off. Taking on defenders with Madrid’s Ronaldo is not a win button though, picking the proper move for the situation is imperative and will provide the extra step on the defender leading to a dangerous attacking position.


The biggest improvement however, is the passing system. In all previous FIFA games the passing of the ball often resembled a ping pong game where players were able to connect passes super easily until they reached the offensive third. That was a major flaw in years prior. FIFA 11 introduces a new and skill based passing model that requires players to use precision and direction carefully. They will also have to take into account the skill rating and stamina level which effect how well a player can pass the ball. Games feel much more fluid and realistic now that the ping pong mechanic has been replaced with a deep and authentic passing system, which will take some getting used to. Once players are at ease with new level of detail in maneuvering the pitch it will be almost more fun to play keep-away than scoring goals. Finishing in this game is not too easy either but yet again another more realistic approach that FIFA 11 takes. Once players do put the ball in the back of the net though, the new celebration moves will have them smile.

The passing system is not the only massive change made in EA’s flagship franchise, Be-A-Goalkeeper has been added to the mode that allows players to take control only one player on the field. Previous years only allowed for controlling the ten field players but FIFA 11 finally makes the 11 vs. 11 experience complete and has players take control of the goalkeeper. The new mode has been implemented very well and playing as a goalkeeper works well mechanically and keeps it interesting as well. The game is centered behind the goalie whom players can move around freely and dive with the analog sticks. Players have full control over the last line of defense but can also hit a button that keeps him in the proper position in the box if needed.

Visually FIFA 11 looks a lot like its predecessor; the graphics and overall presentation are largely the same and will probably need an overhaul in the years to come. The faces of the star players as well as their overall look and feel are very close to their real life counterparts adding to the authenticity that comes with a FIFA game, including all the official teams, players and leagues with the exception of the official Uefa licenses. The soundtrack and audio is outstanding again this year completing the great presentation of FIFA 11.

There are a few new career mode choices as well. Players can now choose to use one player throughout the career without managing the whole team, be a player manager which allows for managing and starring in major games or play the classic manager mode known from previous games. While the first two modes allow for the Be-A-Pro style option, manager mode does not. Players can also play as the whole squad in the first two modes. The manager mode, specifically simulating games and completing transfers has been improved again to get rid of the annoying 5:0 losses to a team from the bottom of the table or impossible transfer fees.

The online experience is very much unchanged with the exception of the new 11 versus 11 online mode allowing 22 players to take each other on. There is of course the regular head to head as well, fairly standard mode but usually my choice when I head online to play. Lastly, EA Sports has implemented the Creation Centre for FIFA 11 which allows players to create players and full teams including ratings and uniforms which can be shared and downloaded to the consoles which is a nice addition and makes player creation easier than ever. The 'Pro' however has to be created on the conole itself.

EA Sports has produced an excellent game with this latest entry into the FIFA series. Even though the game has stayed visually identical with little graphical improvements, it has some many small and large improvements and additions to the gameplay that is truly is more than just another derivative roster update. The adjustment and improvements to the passing and animation systems along with the addition of the Be-A-Goalkeeper mode as well as the tune up of the manager mode make this the best FIFA game to date. FIFA 11 will more than merit the 60 Dollar purchase this year and have players coming back throughout the year.

Score: 9 / 10

FIFA 11 was developed and published by EA Sports for the Xbox 360 and PS3 on September 28th. A copy of the Xbox 360 version was provided to us by EA Sports for reviewing purposes.

This morning Good Old Games users received an email from the GOG.com team that might make them smile. GOG is giving away a free game to users who signed up before the reboot - that game is Jagged Alliance: Deadly Games which is currently 9.99 USD. The classic PC title will automatically be added to user's accounts.

In addition, users who joined after the relaunch will receive a 50% Discount on all Strategy First titles. That includes games like Flatout and Darkstar One.

It appears that Bethesda's press site has listed a very specific release date for RAGE, their post-apocalyptic shooter previously dated for 'sometime' in 2011. According to the listing on their official website RAGE is dated for September 13th, 2011 for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3.

While this is not an actual confirmation within an official press release, it does provide an indication that RAGE will be out in the 2nd half of 2011.

We have even more fun maps for everyone to try out this week! So far I think this is my favorite map post to date, lots of cool ones. Check them all out after the jump.

If you have a map you would like us to play or include in the next map post, post a link to it and some pictures in the comments.

Shlabangies! - Large - Download Here


Atom - Medium - Download Here


Vanilla - Medium - Download Here


Ryanodine - Small - Download Here


Esoterica - Medium - Download Here


Apex - XL - Download Here


Burial Grounds - Small - Download Here