GameManx - Video Game Reviews and News.

Gamemanx Podcast Ep. 101: Mafia II Revisited

Fallback — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:20:58 +0000

Mafia II, Metorid Prime II, Fan Expo, Halo Reach, Shank and more.

Gran Tursimo 5: Gameplay From Fan Expo 2010

Jim Lahey — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:04:54 +0000

Some more video footage i took during this years Fan Expo. This time showing off Gran Turismo 5.

Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood: Gameplay From Fan Expo 2010

Jim Lahey — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:05:29 +0000

Some video footage of the upcoming Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, shot at this years Fan Expo.

Mafia II Collector’s Edition Unboxing

Scatigno — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 13:53:08 +0000

The Official GameManx unboxing of Mafia II.

GameManx Podcast Ep. 100: Scott Pilgrim Edition

Fallback — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 23:06:25 +0000

Scott Pilgrim The Game and Movie, Kanye West Power Remix, Madden 10, Mafia II, PS3 Jailbreak and more.

Gran Turismo 5: Dynamic Weather, Course Creator, Kart Mode

Fallback — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:19:40 +0000

Gran Turismo is at Gamescom 2010 now and here are some details about the game including the recently confirmed dynamic weather, course creator, and kart modes.

New videos here.

What we know about Gran Turismo 5:
cars
• 1000 cars (800+ Standard, 200+ Premium)
- new brands include Ferrari, Maserati, Bugatti, Lamborghini, McLaren, Tesla, Red Bull Racing
- new series include NASCAR, WRC, Super GT, karting

tracks
• more than 40 tracks (more than 100 layouts)
- new real circuits include Top Gear Test Track, Daytona, Indianapolis, Spa-Francorchamps, Nürburgring, Monza
- new fictional circuits in London, Rome, Madrid, Tuscany, the Alps, the High Fens

offline:
• single race, split screen, time trial
• license tests, championships
• A-spec & B-spec
• car tuning
• 8 MP photo mode
• GTTV (compatible with PSP)

online:
• up to 16 players in a race
• private rooms, lobbies with up to 32 players
• spectator mode
• text & voice chat
• photo- en replay album
• YouTube replay upload
• time trial rankings

other features:
• cockpit view for Premium cars
• damage & roll overs (all cars)
• day-night cycle
• dynamic weather
• track creator / editor
• skidmarks & reverse lights

tech:
• up to 1080p 60fps
• up to Dolby 7.1
• custom soundtracks
• PlayStation Eye headtracking
• 3DTV support (gameplay & 3D photo mode)

also:
• all cars bought in GTPSP can be transferred to GT5 for use in Arcade Mode
• Adrian Newey was involved in a way
• Sebastian Vettel did voice work

New DC Universe Trailer

Scatigno — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 13:22:43 +0000

A nice trailer, but it's going to take alot before i begin to pay subscription fees for MMO's.
You can pick up DC Universe on PS3 and PC this coming Novemeber.

Resistance 3 Officially Announced

Scatigno — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 19:17:56 +0000

In news that pretty much everyone was expecting, Insomniac have officially announced at this years GamesCom that Resistance 3 is in development and will be heading Exclusively to the PS3 sometime in 2011.
Screens and trailer to follow soon.

Gran Turismo 5 Dated for Europe

Scatigno — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 19:13:26 +0000

Sony have announced the official date for the release of Gran Turismo 5 in Europe.

Speaking at today's Press Conference at GamesCom, Sony have officially confirmed that Gran Tursimo 5 will be heading to the Playstation 3 on 3rd November 2011, just one day after the North American release.
After all these years of waiting, the game's release finally appears to be on the horizon.

LittleBigPlanet 2 Story Trailer

Scatigno — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 19:03:13 +0000

Here's the brand new trailer for LittleBigPlanet 2.

Shown during Sony's GamesCom press conference, it shows more of what to expect in the story mode.
The sheer amount of content and potential in this sequel is incredible. Look out for LittleBigPlanet 2 this coming holiday.

Killzone 3 Multiplayer Trailer

Scatigno — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 18:56:15 +0000

Footage that is sure to excite you Killzone fans out there.

Killzone 3, which will support 3D and Playstation Move is set for release in 2011, and the game looks great.
Let us know what you think in the comments.

Look at for more Killzone 3 details coming soon.

Brand New inFamous 2 Trailer

Scatigno — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 18:51:30 +0000

Here is a brand new trailer for the upcoming inFamous 2

Let us know what you think in the comments section.

Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One Announced!!!

Scatigno — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 18:46:54 +0000

Insomniac have just announced that a new Ratchet and Clank game is in the works.

The game, Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One, is a one-four player on/offline drop in/out title.
Players are able to take control of either Ratchet, Clank, Captain Qwark and Dr, Nefarious.

We'll have more on the game as the details are released but take alot at the screenshots and the video below.

Harry Potter Actors Try Out The New Game With Kinect

Scatigno — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 16:24:22 +0000

Here is a short video showing 2 Actors from the Harry Potter films trying out the new game 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' with the Xbox 360 Kinect. Oh yes Microsoft, this does look like fun.

Brand New Dragon Age 2 Trailer

Scatigno — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:41:23 +0000

Here is the new trailer for the upcoming Dragon Age 2, just shown for the first time during EA's GamesCom press conference.
Enjoy.

Along with the trailer it was also announced that the game will be released in North America March 8 2011 and March 11 in Europe

Mass Effect 2 Announced For PS3

Scatigno — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:17:24 +0000

EA have just announced that Mass Effect 2 is coming to PS3 in January 2011.

In news that is sure to upset many many Xbox 360 owners, EA have announced at this years GamesCom press conference that Mass Effect 2 is heading to the Playstaion 3 in January 2011.
No word yet on whether the first Mass Effect game will also make the move to the PS3 as it seems Microsoft still own the rights but getting the second is still a big deal.

Check out the teaser trailer below

Stay tuned to GameManx.com for further details and screenshots.

Kinect Dated For UK & Europe

Scatigno — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:04:29 +0000

Microsoft have announced the dates for the UK and European release for Xbox 360 Kinect.

The new motion sensor will be released on 10th November in both the UK and Europe. North America as previously announced will get the release on 4th November.

Will you be buying Kinect? Let us know in the comments section.

New Press Release Shots Of The Fable III Limited Edition Controller

Scatigno — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 10:51:25 +0000

Some new images of the Limited Edition Fable III Controller have just been released.
It looks nice i guess, i'm set with controllers at the minute though so i doubt i'll be picking this one up, i suppose it's a nice little addition to the hardcore Fable fans.

You can expect to pick the controller up sometime in October in preparation for the Fable III launch.

Scott Pilgrim The Game: Tips, Tricks & Cheat Codes

Fallback — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:38:45 +0000

Allow Two players to select the same character:
Down, R1, UP, L1, triangle, circle

Begin level with Power of Love:
Xbox 360: X X X A B A Y Y
PS3: square, square, square, X, circle, X, triangle, triangle

Change coin sprites into animals:
Up, Up, Down, Down, Up, Up, Up, Up

Enables Blood Mode:
Xbox 360: A B A X A B B
PS3: X, circle, X, square, X, circle, circle

Unlock Sword:
At the main menu press:
Square, Square, Square, X, Circle, X, Triangle
Big Overpowered sword given to you again every time you start a new area.

Hidden Sound Test Mode/ Radio Tower:
Unlock the route to the Radio Tower:
Go to the map, press start and go to the Rankings, then press:
L1, L1, R1, R1, L1, L1, L1, R1, R1, R1, L1, R1

Boss rush code is out:
At the title screen
right, right, O, R1, right, right, O, R1

Saving the game:
Even if you're mid-level, if you exit to the map, it will save the game and your experience points

Unlock Zombie Mode:
At the start screen press: down, up, right, down, up, right, down, up, right, right, right

Unlock Nega Scott:
Beat the game with each character

LOL! Sony Taking Shots At Apple In New PSP Ad

Scatigno — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:54:27 +0000

GameManx Podcast Ep. 99: Mafia II Demo Edition

Fallback — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 14:24:52 +0000

Mafia II demo, Scott Pilgrim, Just cause 2, Bioshock Infinite, PSP Smart-phone rumors, Little Big Planet 2 beta, Steam, Castlevania Lord of Shadows, God of War II and more

Mortal Kombat Arcade Compilation Spotted?

Scatigno — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 10:18:27 +0000

According to a listing on ShopTo.Net, a Mortal Kombat Arcade Compilation is set for release in November 2010, at this point only a Playstation 3 version has been listed, could this be an exclusive?

The listing states that the game will include Mortal Kombat 1, 2 and Ultimate Mortal Kombat all in HD.

It comes with an RRP of £19.99

More info on this as soon as we get it.

Alan Wake – Review

Scatigno — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 21:13:15 +0000

Alan Wake is a Psychological Action Thriller made by the developers of Max Payne, Remedy. In this Xbox 360 exclusive you assume the role of Alan Wake, a successful writer who escapes to the tranquil town of Bright Falls with his wife Alice after suffering from a serious case of Writers Block. Coming to Bright Falls is a way to try and inspire him to be able to write again.
Soon enough strange things begin to happen, it’s difficult to talk more about the story without any spoilers but Alice goes missing and Alan starts to find manuscript pages from a book he doesn’t even remember writing.

The game is set up episodically, like a TV show. Each episode ends on some sort of a cliffhanger and then the next episode will show a recap of what happened previously. At 6 episodes there may be people who complain that the game is too short but I can assure you, each episode can take a few hours to finish depending on whether you run straight through it or take your time to find all the collectibles. I decided to play the game one episode per night over the course of 6 consecutive nights. This way I was able to play the game as I would watch a TV show and that really helped to immerse myself into the world, as at the end of each episode I couldn’t wait for the next night to play it again.

Certain parts of game take place during the day light, this is where you have some freedom to explore the town of Bright Falls, get to know the locals and gather information about Alice’s disappearance. As soon as night falls though Alan must fight for his own survival and sanity. As he battles his way through the forested areas he must overcome the shadowy figures of the ‘Taken’, these are the townfolk who have become corrupted by the darkness. Then it becomes a battle between the light and dark, as the only place of safety Alan is able to use are generators that cast pools of light situated around different areas of the map. Standing within this light pool will stop any enemy being able to deal damage.
For places without generators Alan comes equipped with a flashlight and a small arsenal of firearms including Pistols and Shotguns which can be found placed around the game world, bullets and batteries also need to be collected in order to have any sort of a fighting chance.

The combat mechanics really stood out for me, I found them interesting, fun and original. The ‘Taken’ use the darkness as a shield of armour of sorts. Blindly firing bullets will not deal any sort of damage. Alan can instead shine his flashlight either at a full beam or standard beam towards them that will begin to deplete this shield. When the shield is gone you are free to use the fire arms at your disposal to finish them off for good.

Be warned, this is by no means an always easy task. At times you will be suddenly surrounded by the ‘Taken’ only to realise you are low on bullets and batteries so your only chance is to run and find the nearest stash of items, the ‘Taken’ will follow you.
This encourages a nice strategic element towards the combat as you need to learn to conserve precious items and only use them when it’s the most appropriate.

My favourite weapon to use was the flare-gun. It never got old to have a group of ‘Taken’ advancing towards you, only for you to shoot right down the middle and kill them all in one with a blinding flash of red light surrounding the area. The sweeping camera during these kind of action pieces made it look very cool and epic.

Alan Wake was first conceived as an open world game. During the very very long and often delayed development process this was actually decided against and some what taken out of the game. I say some what because the areas you actually traverse through are quite open and it doesn’t always feel like you are on a linear path, there are different places to go to find the collectibles but the game will always push you in one direction to advance the story. Stray too far off the beaten path and a fog will descend down and you will swiftly become surrounded by the ‘Taken’.

Bright Falls it’s self looks fantastic. A lot was made upon the games release that it is not actually HD, and running below the 720p standard like Red Dead Redemption on the PS3, but looking at this game you will not notice it. Character Models are nice and the environments are gorgeous. Looking at the different vistas whether during the day or night or nothing short of jaw dropping. Draw distances are terrific, being able to see the mountains and water running for miles in front of you really adds to the worlds realism and you believe you really are in this world.
Voice acting can be some what hit or miss, the main characters sound great, apart from the odd very cheesy dialogue, NPC’s you find around the town sound quite dreadful but not enough to make you want to switch the game off.

There are many collectibles throughout the world. Finding the Manuscript pages scattered around will give you a more detailed insight into the story and characters, so there is a big incentive in finding them.
There are Televisions to be found where you can watch a very creepy show called ‘Night Springs’
It sort of reminded me of a twilight zone kind of show and are deeply unsettling.
Radio shows again can be found which again all add some more detail to the world and listening to them is recommended if you really want to immerse yourself into this world.
After finishing the game of normal there is an incentive to play through again in ‘Nightmare’ mode, this mode allows you to find additional pages of the manuscript, these are exclusive to this mode so if you want to know everything there is to know then I recommend playing on this setting.

So a question you may be wanting an answer to is whether the game is scary or not. Well that all depends of what you class as scary. If you looking for quick frights that make you jump then no this isn’t it. However if like me it’s the fear of the darkness and not knowing what is out there that frightens you, then yes, this game is spine chilling. It tapped into all my fears I had as a kid about being afraid of the dark and the monsters that lurk there and that really sent a shiver down my spine. That is what I believe is one of Alan Wake’s greatest strengths, it taps into that fear of the unknown that we all have. “did I just see something lurking in the shadows?”, “is this all in my head?”. it gets at you in those sort of ways and that’s what makes it, in my opinion, better than games like Dead Space and Fear, and even the recent Resident Evils, because they are all about quick scares, Alan Wake stays true to what it is and makes it’s scares ‘Psychological’.

So my verdict? Unfortunately as I said at the beginning of this review it is too difficult to talk too much about the story without spoiling it, so what I gave you may sound quite vague, but rest assured I thoroughly enjoyed it. It kept me riveted and on the edge of my seat all the way through, and by the end I still wanted more. Which the developers have now given us by way of downloadable episodes, the first of which “The Signal” is out now to download, or free if you buy your copy of Alan Wake brand new.

The game is not perfect, camera issues arise during combat sequences and the storyline can become some what confusing unless you fully engage with it. There is also the issue of environments not being very varied which can easily put some people off if they presume all they will be doing is walking around the woods in the dark for 6 straight episodes. This is not the case at all. The environments do switch up and with so many other parts of this game, you only get out of it what you put into it. The incentives are laid out for you, it’s your choice to take them.
Again voice acting can be some what hit and miss and some characters are just straight up annoying but these minor issues In an otherwise fantastic game, it’s one of the best games I have played this generation and one of the best games ever in that kind of genre. It may not be as long as some may have hoped for but in my opinion it fits with what seems to have become the standard length for single player games these days. I hope to see a sequel in the near future. As an Xbox 360 owner there is not many exclusive games on the horizon so you wouldn’t be doing yourself an injustice to pick this one up, if not it is definitely worth a rental.

First Time Trying Out Steam: Mafia 2 Demo

Fallback — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 19:28:27 +0000

I was not impressed by the Mafia 2 demo on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The frame rate and constant tearing was a bit much. Especially on the Playstation 3 version. Its sad really because Mafia 2 looks like it could be a very fun game. I read over at NeoGaf that the PC Mafia 2 demo is MUCH better than the console demos so I decided to give the PC demo a try.

Steam is a service I have wanted to try for many moons and this seemed like a perfect opportunity. A friend recently asked about Steam and I described it as an iTunes like store for PC games. I think that sums it up pretty well. Steam is a light program you can install on your PC or MAC computer and search through games you can purchase then play on your computer.

The Steam setup took about 2 minutes. I was surprised at how fast.

After the steam client install I searched for the Mafia 2 demo and found it straight away.

12 minutes later the demo was downloaded onto my machine. The total size of the download was a bit over a gigabyte. Again impressed at the speed.

I broke out my USB Wireless Gaming Receiver for Windows and plugged it in.

The game recognized I was using the Xbox 360 controller automatically and all the buttons were mapped perfectly. Win!

All set up and started playing. The game ran MUCH smoother and looked much better than the Xbox 360 versions even on my older PC.

The specs on my PC are as follows:
Pentium D Dual Core 2.8GHz
4GB RAM

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North – GamesCom Trailer

Scatigno — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:54:58 +0000

New trailer.

Kanye West’s First Ustream: Talks with Fans Live From Korea

Fallback — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 16:49:06 +0000

This is actually pretty hilarious. Funny seeing people dabble into new media. Kanye got on Ustream a few days ago for the first time. He talks about production on the new album, and answers fan questions. He also confirms his Twitter account which is also hilarious if you have not already checked it out do so for a few laughs.

Claptrap’s New Robot Revolution Borderlands Add-On Pack Announced

Fallback — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 18:04:08 +0000

2K Games and Gearbox Software announced today that Borderlands fans can return to Pandora in Claptrap’s New Robot Revolution. This fourth add-on pack from the will be available this September via Xbox LIVE for 800 Microsoft Points and the PlayStation Network and Windows PC for $9.99.

Claptrap’s New Robot Revolution invites single-player and co-op fans back to try to suppress a deadly Claptrap revolution using one of four infamous vault hunters. The foursome find themselves caught in the crosshairs of a deadly civil war between the Hyperion Corporation’s well-armed armadas and the ever-amassing army of homicidal Claptraps led by one of the most eagerly awaited characters in the franchise’s history - the cunning Ninja Assassin. As vault hunters, players must put aside their past differences with the Hyperion Corporation, namely the organization’s repeated attempts to wipe them from existence. For a hefty payday, they will join forces to help beat down the mechanical uprising and thwart the dastardly kung-fu expert, the Claptrap known only as Ninja Assassin.

“A year ago Borderlands was an untested brand that through hard work and a lot of passion, turned out to be one of the best-selling, claptastic and skagtacular games we have ever created,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “A year later, we are releasing our fourth DLC installment, Claptrap’s New Robot Revolution, which illustrates our enthusiasm for creating highly entertaining content that enhances a franchise. In addition to serving as the perfect bookend to the original game, what gamer doesn’t love a kung-fu-wielding Ninja Assassin Claptrap with nunchuck skills?”

Like its add-on predecessors, Claptrap’s New Robot Revolution offers extensive co-op integration that seamlessly melds single and multiplayer experiences, and incorporates the most explosive role-playing shooter fun imaginable. Claptrap’s New Robot Revolution will provide more than 20 new missions to loot and tons of fresh enemies to blast through, including original boss battles, waves of homicidal Claptraps, well-armed Hyperion soldiers, and local creatures that have been Claptrap-ified - including crab-traps, rakk-traps and skag-trapps. Fans can earn an additional 10 skill points for a total of 71 available skill tree points, and three more backpack slots for additional blood-yielding weapons and many hours of enjoyment.

ESPN2 To Air Special “Madden” Episode Of SportsNation

Fallback — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 18:57:54 +0000

SportsNation will be airing a special “Madden” episode in conjunction with the release of Madden 11 TODAY at 4 p.m. EST on ESPN2.

The entire show will be “Madden” focused with all of the day’s polls being related to the new game along with viewers being asked to rank the toughest players in the history of the game. Joining co-hosts Colin Cowherd and Michelle Beadle in studio will be former Tennessee Titan running back and Madden 2001 cover boy Eddie George who will challenge SportsCenter anchor Mike Hill to a game of Madden 11.

For more details check the SportsNation Twitter page.

Mafia II Demo Out Now

Fallback — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:53:26 +0000

The Mafia II demo is now live and free on Xbox 360. You can use this link to queue it up for download via xbox.com.

PlayStation 3 users can download it now if your a PlayStation plus user. Available in Europe for Plus members.
Tonight on US store for all, tomorrow night in Europe for all.

GameManx Podcast Ep 98: Blazblue Continuum Shift

Fallback — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 20:40:48 +0000

Blazblue Continuum Shift, Killzone 3 Beta for PSN Plus, Laura Croft Delays, Gran Turismo and more....