Joystiq

Shatner plays Kirk in Star Trek trailer

Sinan Kubba — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 11:00:00 EST

There's around a half-minute's footage of Star Trek: The Video Game in this trailer, but we admit it, we just wanted the excuse to post a video with William Shatner in it. Either way, we reckon you're Gorna enjoy it.

Shatner plays Kirk in Star Trek trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Mar 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paramount: Star Trek's development prolonged to coincide with Into Darkness

Jordan Mallory — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 15:30:00 EST

Star Trek has been in development for about three years at this point, which is a "huge amount of time when you're talking about a movie game," Paramount Pictures Senior Vice President Brian Miller told us during a GDC-adjacent demonstration of the game earlier this week.

"Most movie games that we've ever worked on, and I would say most people ever work on, you're lucky to get twelve months," Miller said. "You're in the middle of production on a movie, you're trying to hit a target date of when the movie comes out, all the assets aren't in there, so you wind up having to rush things through."

In Star Trek's case, however, the situation was reversed - development on the game was extended by a full year in order to coincide with the release of Star Trek Into Darkness, the franchise's latest theatrical romp.

"This game was going to come out at a different time," Miller said. "We didn't know when the next movie was going to be, we didn't know if it was going to be holiday, we didn't know if it was going to be summer, and we were just striving for it to make a game. Then when they all started lining up, it was like 'Okay, the movie is going to be here, let's give ourselves a little more development time to make sure they line up and come together.'"

An entire extra year may seem like more than "a little more development time," but that's the sort of call you get to make when you're Paramount. Miller told us that while interaction between Paramount, developer Digital Extremes and writer Marianne Krawczyk was an "amazing collaborative back-and-forth," Paramount's wishes are still, well, paramount.

Paramount: Star Trek's development prolonged to coincide with Into Darkness originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 26 Mar 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spock and Kirk battle it out together in this Star Trek trailer

Jessica Conditt — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 02:00:00 EST

The latest trailer for Star Trek: The Game shows off the daring heroism of a true bromance, this one between Kirk and Spock. It's OK, Spock, you can cry a little if you need to. This kind of love really gets to us, too.

Spock and Kirk battle it out together in this Star Trek trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 14 Feb 2013 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Star Trek boldly goes on April 23

Jessica Conditt — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 16:00:00 EST

Star Trek, the co-op game set in J.J. Abram's rebooted movie universe, will launch on April 23, with pre-orders beginning tomorrow, December 21, at participating retailers. Star Trek is coming to Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, and will be available digitally via PSN.

All pre-orders get access to the Elite Officer Pack, which includes exclusive specialty items for the game's main protagonists, Kirk and Spock. Check out those bad boys in-game in the above screenshot. Looks like Digital Extremes is going for the "set phasers to stunning" look, no?

Continue reading Star Trek boldly goes on April 23

Star Trek boldly goes on April 23 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 20 Dec 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Warframe, a free-to-play shooter Digital Extremes wants you to try

Jessica Conditt — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 23:59:00 EST

Digital Extremes, the developer behind The Darkness 2 and the coming Star Trek title, is working on a free-to-play, co-op focused shooter called Warframe. The beta is "coming soon," Digital Extremes promises, and signing up now will get players an exclusive beta-only weapon.

The above pre-alpha trailer pitches Warframe as a futuristic, time-bending, sword-slashing sci-fi shooter. If it looks like your cup of bloody tea, add your name to the beta list right here.

Warframe, a free-to-play shooter Digital Extremes wants you to try originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 25 Jun 2012 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Star Trek and some hardcore Gorn

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 09:45:00 EST

The gorn will be a primary antagonists in the upcoming co-op-centric Star Trek game from Darkness 2 developer Digital Extremes. The humanoid lizards of the Gorn Hegemony are quite agile in the new game, a significant departure from their appearance in the "Arena" episode of the original Star Trek from 1967.

The race may come off as blood-thirsty killers in the new Star Trek, based off the JJ Abrams reboot of the space exploration franchise, but that's not how we remember them. The gorn are featured in one of the two most famous fight scenes in the original Star Trek series. Captain Kirk's fight with a gorn doesn't exactly hold up against Yuen Woo-ping choreographed fight scenes in modernity, whereas his fight with Spock during the vulcan's pon farr is hilariously awesome.

We asked the developer during E3 if there would also be a Kirk v. Spock fight featuring the classic music in the game, but our question was deflected with shields at full power.

We've placed clips of both amazing fight scenes from the original Star Trek after the break.

Continue reading Star Trek and some hardcore Gorn

Star Trek and some hardcore Gorn originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 07 Jun 2012 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You can totally get The Darkness 2 for $12 at Best Buy today

Jessica Conditt — Tue, 29 May 2012 19:30:00 EST

The Darkness 2 is Best Buy's deal of the day, on sale for $12 for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. If you're into juicy, demonic mutilations, psychotic episodes of extreme violence and solid voice acting, this may be the best $12 you spend all year.

The sale extends to in-store purchases only, meaning while you can gaze longingly at the low price point online - you can't have it unless you get up and grab it.

[Thanks, ZombieFever.]

You can totally get The Darkness 2 for $12 at Best Buy today originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 29 May 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Star Trek trailer 'beams' down the old-fashioned way

JC Fletcher — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:30:00 EST

Virtual Chris Pine jumps off of all kinds of things in the latest trailer for the Star Trek game. Whether on land or in space, if there's a chasm, James T. Kirk will leap right into it, arms akimbo.

Continue reading Star Trek trailer 'beams' down the old-fashioned way

Star Trek trailer 'beams' down the old-fashioned way originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Darkness 2 review: Shooting bullets off a list

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:30:00 EST

On paper, The Darkness 2 is a "linear, first-person shooter with some neat twists." It sounds boring, and it was every time I played the game in a preview session before it launched. I'd hole up at some PR office in Manhattan and they'd run down a prepared spiel about "quad-wielding" or "the Darkling." The what?

In reality, The Darkness 2 is a beautiful, hand-drawn game from a team with derivative dreck like Dark Sector and Pariah in its past. It also has surprisingly realistic and impressive voice acting, which gets paired with gorgeous art direction right off the bat for a "last time on The Darkness" reintroduction.

But as impressive as the game's art style and voice acting chops are, it's not very easy to shape a marketing-driven preview session around technical aspects like that. But that's the case for most of what's so great about The Darkness 2 -- touches, moments and experiences that don't fit onto a bullet point list.

Gallery: The Darkness 2 (10/28/11)

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The Darkness 2 review: Shooting bullets off a list originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Namco Bandai co-publishing Star Trek in Q1 2013

Jordan Mallory — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:45:00 EST

The co-op-centric Star Trek title unveiled at last year's E3 has found itself a publisher. Namco Bandai will be "co-publishing" and distributing the Digital Extremes-developed space romp alongside Paramount Digital Entertainment sometime during the first quarter of 2013.

The Q1 2013 window puts this immediately before the May 17 theatrical release of the next Abrams Trek film -- marketing synergy that may explain the game's quiet delay from its original 2012 release window. We like Abrams' take on the Trek universe just fine, but we can't help but wish for someone to throw this much money at remaking Star Trek 25th Anniversary for the NES.

Gallery: Star Trek (2/10/12)

Continue reading Namco Bandai co-publishing Star Trek in Q1 2013

Namco Bandai co-publishing Star Trek in Q1 2013 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Darkness 2 demo creeps toward Xbox Live, PSN and PC later this month

David Hinkle — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:59:00 EST

Do you want an evil spirit bound to you for the rest of your existence? How do you really know? If only the forces of evil got together and decided to offer some kind of pilot program.

Thankfully, in this day and age of video games about evil things, we have demos. 2K Games is set to offer an early taste of The Darkness 2, starting with Xbox Live Gold subscribers next week, January 17. PC and PS3 users will be able to sample it on January 24. PS3 users in Asia/Pacific and Europe regions will have to wait an additional day, until January 25.

2K didn't offer any details on the contents of the demo, so we just hope it helps us gauge whether we're going to pressure our friends into buying it -- not to mention our tolerance level when it comes to evil hissing things and guys talking in thick, wiseguy accents.

The Darkness 2 demo creeps toward Xbox Live, PSN and PC later this month originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Darkness 2 breaks off a pre-order bonus on Steam starting today

Jessica Conditt — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 22:15:00 EST

The Darkness 2 is available right this very second for pre-order on Steam for $49.99, with a free upgrade to the limited edition included. Remember: 2K Games is offering this same deal to all pre-orders, from any retailer, which kind of makes the Limited Edition like the Normal Edition, and then anyone who buys it after release gets the Sub-Normal Edition. If that's how you want to view the world, that is.

The Darkness 2 breaks off a pre-order bonus on Steam starting today originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 05 Jan 2012 22:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Darkness 2 gets 4-player co-op mode in 'Vendettas,' we count the wieldings [update: video, more screens!]

Christopher Grant — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 09:05:00 EST

So, we're not mathemagicians but we're pretty sure we've got this worked out. The big marketing gotcha in The Darkness 2 is quad-wielding, meaning your character, mob boss Jackie Estacado, can not only dual wield pistols but also dual wield Darkness arms at the same time. With 2K's announcement of a co-op mode in the game, playable by up to four friends, we had to use all of our fingers and toes to figure out how much wielding is going on and ... we think we have it. Ladies and nerds, allow us to introduce: hexadeca-wielding. Google says that's the Greek prefix for "sixteen."

The co-op mode, dubbed "Vendettas," is a "team-focused, mission based experience" with new environments and new story elements, "that takes place parallel to the single-player story." And instead of getting stuck with ol' Jackie Boy, perhaps you might try your hand(s) at another of the new co-op characters: Inugami, "a dark and mentally unstable character with revenge-driven motives" ... and a samurai sword; Shoshanna, an Israeli Intelligence agent with a gun that fires "multiple rounds of gunfire at one time" which, real talk, is impossible; Jimmy Wilson, an alcoholic Scotsman (really!) who hates the English and summons Darklings with his "Dark Axe"; and lastly, J.P. DuMond, a New Orleans-based practitioner of voodoo medicine or, as he would perhaps be more commonly called, a witch doctor!

So that's Vendettas, the first game to feature four-player hexadeca-wielding co-op play, a back-of-the-box feature that's sure to bring all the boys to the killing yards.

Gallery: The Darkness 2 (Vendettas Co-op Mode)

The Darkness 2 gets 4-player co-op mode in 'Vendettas,' we count the wieldings [update: video, more screens!] originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 06 Dec 2011 09:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This new Darkness 2 trailer is impressively gross

Jordan Mallory — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 12:30:00 EST

For the most part, we as a culture have become desensitized to the ridiculous level of extremely graphic, realistic violence pervasive in most forms of entertainment media, which is why we're so damn impressed by how incredibly disgusting the latest trailer for The Darkness 2 is.

Watching a man's spine and skull get ripped out through his scrotum (by chattering tentacle creatures, no less) wasn't really something we had planned on doing today, but there you go. While you check out the trailer, we're going to go cleanse our palate with something a little less violent, like Mortal Kombat.

Gallery: The Darkness 2 (10/28/11)

This new Darkness 2 trailer is impressively gross originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 30 Oct 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Darkness 2 illuminated in trailer blowout

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 05:03:00 EST

Perhaps today's news that The Darkness 2 will give players a chance to terrorize "The Brotherhood" with Jackie's little Darkling friend wasn't enough to sate your thirst for dark essence ... or, uh, information about the game? This volley of trailers should more than suffice!

Continue reading The Darkness 2 illuminated in trailer blowout

The Darkness 2 illuminated in trailer blowout originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 Oct 2011 05:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Darkness sequel adds contextually playable Darkling

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 12:01:00 EST

At various points throughout The Darkness 2, main character Jackie Estacado will relinquish control to his limey compatriot, the Darkling. During the past several preview events featuring next year's Digital Extremes-developed Darkness sequel, said Darkling has been a part of the environment, wantonly assisting in the murder of Jackie's foes but not allowing himself to be commanded.

In a preview session this past week in Manhattan, however, I was shown how one specific Darkling section will play out in the final game. After somewhat stealthily winding Jackie through a dingy brothel, he arrived at a brightly lit area (which can't be accessed due to his dark powers) with a conveniently placed Darkling-sized ventilation shaft just above the door. Moments later, and I'm inside the Darkling, piloting him through the vent and out into a new area.

I was told that these sections are scattered throughout the game, allowing for limited, context-specific Darkling action sequences (read: you can't use him whenever you want). The emphasis during his brief scene was on puzzle solving, allowing Jackie to progress through the door -- the Darkling had to navigate bright lights (which hurt him), enemies with guns (bullets hurt, too), and unknown corridors to find the solution. Sneaky Darkling pilots can pounce on unsuspecting enemies from behind, quietly murdering the bad guy and allowing for an escape.

After a few more moments of sneaking around, I disconnected the light's power source with the Darkling and was instantly zipped back to Jackie, thankfully skipping an unnecessary trek back through where I had just come from. Unfortunately for Jackie, however, the demo was just about to end, which meant he was moments from being trapped by the forces out to steal his powers. Maybe next time, Jackie boy!

Gallery: The Darkness 2 (10/10/11)

Darkness sequel adds contextually playable Darkling originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 10 Oct 2011 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Darkness 2 spawns pre-order bonuses

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 14:40:00 EST

All pre-orders of The Darkness 2 will be upgraded to the "Limited Edition," publisher 2K Games announced today. The pre-order edition includes an alternate "Crazy Abdul" darkling outfit, "Gourmet Hearts" and "Relic Hunter" character ability upgrades, an illustration by Marc Silvestri and download codes for The Darkness Origins Volume 1 and Volume 2 comics.

2K Games also reiterated that The Darkness 2 will arrive at retail on February 7 and 10 for North America and "internationally," respectively. Fleeing the packed holiday schedule, the sequel was originally planned for October.

Gallery: The Darkness 2 (PAX 2011)

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The Darkness 2 spawns pre-order bonuses originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Darkness 2 delayed until February 2012, making an appearance at Comic-Con

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 17:00:00 EST

Hey, Jackie boy. The Darkness 2 has been delayed until 2012, with 2K Games announcing new launch dates for both the console and PC versions of February 7 and 10 for North America and Europe, respectively. The sequel was originally scheduled for this October.

If you're attending Comic-Con in San Diego this weekend, there will be eight playable demo kiosks of The Darkness 2 at the Top Cow booth (#2629). There will also be a "Spreading The Darkness: From Comic Book to Video Games and Entertainment" panel on July 21 at noon in Room 9 of the convention center, featuring the co-creator of The Darkness comic, along with talent from the game. No word on whether or not the actual Darkness will show up and eviscerate the audience, but we're going to recommend keeping your distance just in case.

The Darkness 2 delayed until February 2012, making an appearance at Comic-Con originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 19 Jul 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Star Trek trailer jumps into space, our hearts

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 23:45:00 EST

Consider us optimistically intrigued by the debut trailer for Digital Extremes' new, co-op-centric Star Trek title which aired earlier tonight at the Sony E3 press conference. Check out the video after the jump to see all the phaser lasers and spaceship explosions you could possibly require.

Continue reading Star Trek trailer jumps into space, our hearts

Star Trek trailer jumps into space, our hearts originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 06 Jun 2011 23:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Star Trek co-op game sets phasers for 2012

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 10:00:00 EST

Set mouses to "click" for larger picture

Paramount Digital Entertainment has announced a brand new Star Trek title starring Kirk and Spock as envisioned in J. J. Abrams' 2009 Star Trek film. Titled simply Star Trek, the game is under development at Digital Extremes (BioShock 2, Darkness 2) and takes place after the film, tasking Kirk and Spock with taking down "a legendary enemy race bent on conquering the galaxy." The story is being handled by God of War writer Marianne Krawczyk along with the film's writers Bob Orci and Alex Kurtzman.

The development team is "working closely" with Abrams' Bad Robot production company and producer Damon Lindelof, with Paramount promising co-op and "AAA production values, a wide variety of gameplay and all the action you would expect from the hit franchise." Star Trek is slated to materialize on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in 2012. It will also be on display at E3 next week, and you can bet your space boots we'll be beaming down.

Continue reading Star Trek co-op game sets phasers for 2012

Star Trek co-op game sets phasers for 2012 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Jun 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cue up this Darkness 2 gameplay trailer

Justin McElroy — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 14:50:00 EST

We're common people, with appetites that are almost embarrassingly easy to sate. At one point in this gameplay trailer for The Darkness 2, the titular Darkness throws a pool cue through a dude. So just know that when we say "this trailer is totally great" that bit was pretty much all it took.

Continue reading Cue up this Darkness 2 gameplay trailer

Cue up this Darkness 2 gameplay trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 14:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starbreeze: Giving The Darkness 2 to Digital Extremes was out of our hands

David Hinkle — Tue, 17 May 2011 22:00:00 EST

Those anxious for a Starbreeze-developed The Darkness 2 may still be looking for an explanation. Starbreeze CEO Mikael Nermark told CVG that the decision to tap Digital Extremes was all on 2K and out of his studio's hands.

"The decision was not up to Starbreeze, and when it was decided to do a sequel we had already started working on a new project," he said. That new project is "RedLime," a new title for EA oft-rumored to be a Syndicate remake. Starbreeze had also previously began work on a Jason Bourne title, though that was canceled last year, so the studio has been admittedly pretty busy.

Despite the lack of Starbreeze, The Darkness 2 is shaping up to be a fine title, quad-wielding marketing jargon notwithstanding. In both of our preview sessions, we were impressed with how capable and brutal protagonist Jackie Estacado is in the sequel -- and how his power translated into interesting gameplay.

Starbreeze: Giving The Darkness 2 to Digital Extremes was out of our hands originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 May 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Darkness 2 preview: Dancing in the dark

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 13:00:00 EST

Jackie Estacado is an indestructible demigod. At least that's what the early stages of a recent demo for The Darkness 2 taught me about the game's main character. After unnamed assailants quite literally crash the dinner he had just sat down to eat -- subsequently murdering the erotic dancers he's dining with, of course -- Jackie's hurt pretty badly. His right foot is clearly mangled from the explosion, and soon enough he's being dragged to safety by a fellow mobster, all the while shooting at foes in pursuit.

Thankfully for Jackie Estacado, though, he can take a lot of bullets. Like, dozens. From point blank range. At one point during the demo, I stopped firing back for a full 30 seconds to see what would happen. Lo and behold, the mobster dragging me kept right at his task and, aside from the occasional splash of red on the HUD, Jackie was no worse for the wear. Though a 2K Games rep assured me that Jackie could die during the sequence, the dozens of bullets that had already riddled him didn't do much damage.

After that worrying intro, however, things improved greatly. Jackie was granted the power of quad-wielding and, soon enough, I was using his two crazy snake arms - the titular Darkness -to impale, assassinate, rip, and a whole host of other verbs, all while firing off bullets with my boring hands. Project lead Sheldon Carter with incoming developer Digital Extremes refers to Jackie's arsenal of arms as a "symphony of death," employing two weapons and two arms all at once to engage multiple enemies in a variety of ways.

Gallery: The Darkness 2 (April 2011 Preview)

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The Darkness 2 preview: Dancing in the dark originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Free Comic Book Day brings free The Darkness 2 prequel comic

JC Fletcher — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 14:45:00 EST

May 7 is this year's Free Comic Book Day, the annual event when fans all around the country crowd into comic book stores for free promotional minicomics (and agoraphobic readers put off picking up their subscriptions).

In observance of this ritual, Top Cow Productions is releasing a free The Darkness comic book that is intended to act as a prequel to the upcoming The Darkness 2 game in the works at Digital Extremes. Although we'd argue that if you really want a prequel to The Darkness 2, you could check out The Darkness -- or the comic book series that ran from 1996 to 2005. But those wouldn't be free!

Free Comic Book Day brings free The Darkness 2 prequel comic originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Darkness 2 preview: Murderous multi-tasking

David Hinkle — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 19:20:00 EST

Those of you who finished The Darkness will remember the end scene, in which [spoiler alert!] protagonist Jackie Estacado unleashed all of his rage and the full power of The Darkness, murdering a mansion full of goons. The only problem was that we didn't get to play it -- we had to just watch.

"At the end, you see Jackie going nuts with the demon arms, but you can't play that," Digital Extremes project director Sheldon Carter lamented about the first game, "and that's what I wanted to play. So that's what we're doing for the second game."

Watching a guided demo at GDC, the developer's mission was clear: Jackie is far more aggressive and powerful in the sequel.

Gallery: The Darkness 2 (GDC 2011)

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The Darkness 2 preview: Murderous multi-tasking originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 19:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Darkness 2 brings back Mike Patton

David Hinkle — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 23:00:00 EST

Former Faith No More singer Mike Patton will reprise his role as the titular Darkness, a chaos entity inside Jackie Estacado's body, in Digital Extremes' Fall 2011 sequel, The Darkness 2. It's all wife arms and demon arms with this guy, it seems.

In making the announcement, 2K Games also revealed that The Darkness 2 will be on-hand at GDC in San Francisco in less than two weeks. We'll be lurking in the shadows, waiting to pounce on any and all news there.

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The Darkness 2 brings back Mike Patton originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Darkness 2 uses Digital Extreme's Evolution Engine

JC Fletcher — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 15:00:00 EST

The Darkness was developed using Starbreeze's proprietary Starbreeze Engine; however, for the sequel, Starbreeze is out, as is its proprietary tech, in favor of some different proprietary tech. New developer Digital Extremes is using a new version of its own Evolution Engine, seen in the 2008 glaive-em-up Dark Sector. It's evidently well-suited for games with "Dark" in the title. This title marks DI's return to ... its own engine. After Dark Sector, the developer has assisted on Unreal games including the two BioShocks and Homefront.

The switch to both a new developer and a new engine suggests that The Darkness 2 could be a very different game than its predecessor. Thankfully, we've already learned that the new engine is capable of rendering "Demon Arms," so it won't be completely foreign.

The Darkness 2 uses Digital Extreme's Evolution Engine originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Darkness 2 coming fall 2011, Digital Extremes behind the wheel

Christopher Grant — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 09:05:00 EST

Today, there's good news and bad news for fans of Starbreeze's underappreciated 2007 comic book-based shooter, The Darkness. First, the good news: A sequel, The Darkness 2, has just been announced for fall 2011, reuniting players with Darkness-packing mobster Jackie Estacado; and the bad news: Original developer Starbreeze is out, rumored to be busy with a Syndicate reboot for EA, and relatively unproven Digital Extremes (Dark Sector, anyone?) is in.

The sequel promises more of what made the original such a delight: giant Demon Arms and "stylistic violence." The Darkness 2 marketing team got their hands on the game and came up with "Quad-Wielding," which seems as sellable as any other first-person gimmick. "The Darkness II breaks out of the sea of conventional first-person shooters," the press release reads, "with its fervid Quad-Wielding gameplay, which will allow players to slash, grab, and throw objects and enemies with their Demon Arms while simultaneously firing two weapons."

That's all well and good, but how cool is the game? For that, we'll turn to the admittedly biased Marc Silvestri, founder and CEO of Top Cow Productions and co-creator of The Darkness comics. "So often disappointed when a favorite character gives birth to a lame movie or video game, us fans have come to expect the worst," Silvestri said. "And sometimes we get it. But not with The Darkness II. Yeah, call me biased [Ed's note: We did!], but this second installment of Jackie Estacado's epic saga is - in my humble opinion - one of the most brutally cool games I've ever played. 2K Games hammered this one out of the park."

As convincing as that sounds, we'll reserve our judgment until we get our hands (and yes, our Demon Arms) on the title.

Gallery: The Darkness 2

Continue reading The Darkness 2 coming fall 2011, Digital Extremes behind the wheel

The Darkness 2 coming fall 2011, Digital Extremes behind the wheel originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 08 Feb 2011 09:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Digital Extremes developing PC version of Homefront

JC Fletcher — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 19:20:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

THQ is showing off the PC version of Homefront for the first time at Gamescom this week, thanks to the efforts of Digital Extremes. The publisher announced that Digital Extremes, best known for Pariah, Dark Sector and for assisting on BioShock 2, is developing the PC release. According to THQ executive producer Frank De Lise, DI won't simply be dropping Kaos Studios' North Korean invasion-themed FPS onto PC.

"We're building on the great game that Kaos Studios is making and enhancing it with specific PC relevant features," De Lise said, listing dedicated servers and clan support specifically. "We believe the core PC first-person-shooter fan will really appreciate these features, which are becoming increasingly rare." Who could that statement be directed at?

Digital Extremes developing PC version of Homefront originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 19:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BioShock 2 on sale for $30 on Amazon today

David Hinkle — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 14:28:00 EST

There are plenty of ways to get to Rapture: You could survive a plane crash in the middle of an ocean; or be abducted by one of its citizens as a child. Heck, if you're a really good swimmer and can hold your breath for a long time, you probably have a decent shot. We're in favor of a safer, more practical alternative: Buy a copy of Bioshock 2.

We're also in favor of the most frugal alternative: Amazon's Deal of the Day. Bioshock 2 is half-off today from the online retailer, available for $30 on the Xbox 360 and PS3 -- and the PC version is even cheaper: $26.

Now, there's our idea of the perfect summer vacation: babysitting our little sister.

BioShock 2 on sale for $30 on Amazon today originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BioShock 2 'Sinclair Solutions Test Pack' coming March 11

David Hinkle — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:00:00 EST

Next Thursday, those entrenched in The Great Splicer Uprising of '59 will get a chance to beef up their arsenal in Bioshock 2's multiplayer mode with the Sinclair Solutions Test Pack on March 11. Here's what you'll get for your 400 ($5) on Xbox Live and Games For Windows - Live, and $4.99 on PSN:

Rank Increase to level 50 with Rank Rewards
New playable characters Louie McGraff and Oscar Calraca
20 new trials (some only available after a player achieves a rank of 41 or higher)
A third weapon upgrade for each weapon
Five additional masks (some only available after a player achieves a rank of 41 or higher)

Happy Splicer hunting! (Splunting?)

BioShock 2 'Sinclair Solutions Test Pack' coming March 11 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bioshock 2 has shipped over 3 million units

David Hinkle — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:29:00 EST

Take-Two has revealed in its latest fiscal earnings report that Bioshock 2 has managed to ship more than three million units worldwide since releasing on February 9. The report also says the first game has now sold over four million copies worldwide across all platforms, "bringing the total sales of the franchise to 7 million units." Of course, the important distinction here is that "shipped" does not equal "sold," as Take-Two infers above.

Still, getting three million copies out there into the world is a pretty noteworthy feat. Get yourself a couple more million and you'll be able to finance construction on your own underwater metropolis -- not that any good could possibly come of it.

Bioshock 2 has shipped over 3 million units originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BioShock 2 special edition posters have hidden messages

David Hinkle — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:30:00 EST

[BioshockFan52]

Those of us who have played BioShock 2 likely don't see anything out of the ordinary in the above image. Almost all of Rapture's propoganda has been smeared by Sophia Lamb and her followers in-game, so it only makes sense that 2K would do as much with the game's real world promotional items. And according to this thread on the 2K Games site, a black light is all you need to unlock this "hidden" feature in those neat posters you got with your Special Edition.

The forums users in the thread aren't yanking The Great Chain here, folks. Our sister site Big Download confirms the Easter egg in its Special Edition poster, as well -- there's even a gallery showing off all of the hidden messages to be found. Remember: a man chooses to display his BioShock 2 posters under a black light, a parasite complains about the increased electric bill.

[Thanks, Alex]

BioShock 2 special edition posters have hidden messages originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bioshock 2 DLC kicks off with 'Sinclair Solutions Test Pack'

David Hinkle — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST

2K Games has announced that expansions for BioShock 2 are "slated to arrive over the coming months," expanding both the single-player and multiplayer facets of the game. The custodians of Rapture have yet to reveal what's in store for the single-player campaign, but have offered details on the first new multiplayer add-on: the Sinclair Solutions Test Pack.

Available "soon" for 400 ($5) on Xbox Live and Games For Windows - Live and $4.99 on PSN, the pack will include:

Rank Increase to level 50 with Rank Rewards
New playable characters Louie McGraff and Oscar Calraca
20 new trials (some only available after a player achieves a rank of 41 or higher)
A third weapon upgrade for each weapon
Five additional masks (some only available after a player achieves a rank of 41 or higher)

We just hope 2K Games takes care of those freezing issues before luring us back to the Circus of Values.

Bioshock 2 DLC kicks off with 'Sinclair Solutions Test Pack' originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BioShock 2 debuts atop UK charts, drowns out Just Dance

David Hinkle — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST

Mass Effect 2's reign in the UK has come to an end, with a return trip to Rapture replacing BioWare's journey across the stars in first place. The latest Chart-Track data shows that Bioshock 2 is now the Big Daddy on the block, besting the hypnotic gyrations of Just Dance, Ubisoft's successful bust-a-mover. With that in second place, FIFA 10 slid into third.

Bioshock 2, which bested Mass Effect 2's UK debut numbers, is the first Take-Two title to be in the top spot since 2008, when GTA IV managed to jack its way into first place.

Source - Guess Who's The Daddy? [GFK Chart-Track]
Source - Latest UK Software Charts [GFK Chart-Track]

BioShock 2 debuts atop UK charts, drowns out Just Dance originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BioShock 2 players report multiplayer freezing issues [update]

Griffin McElroy — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 10:03:00 EST

We've received a number of reports from readers who've been participating in BioShock 2's multiplayer component and succumbing to a variety of game-crashing bugs. The reported causes of the freezing are widespread -- some Xbox 360 players encounter it during the post-game recap, while some have reported freezing up while in their apartment hubs. We've contacted 2K to find out if anything is being done to patch whatever issue might be causing the breakdowns.

We were going to make a joke about the freezes being caused by the overzealous use of the Winter Blast plasmid, but that would have been one of the dumbest things we'd ever written.

Update: A 2K Games representative responded to our query, and explained, "we are aware that some users are experiencing an issue that could cause the game to freeze during the multiplayer component. We are in direct contact with our first party partners and are working around the clock in order to provide a fix as soon as possible."

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

BioShock 2 players report multiplayer freezing issues [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 10:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BioShock 2 gets midnight release, new launch trailer

Justin McElroy — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 09:33:00 EST

If you've been jonesing for your second hit of ADAM, you won't have to wait a moment past 12 a.m. on February 9th; 2K has announced that BioShock 2 will get a midnight launch at Best Buy and GameStop stores. It's great news for us, but bad news for the clerks who have to work until the Witching Hour, just so some dude can fall asleep playing it an hour later, his drool and Cheetoh dust congealing into a loneliness gravy on his Big Daddy PJs.

Hoping to pile some extra coal into the hype train's engine, 2K took up the whole first commercial block of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon with a 3-minute-15-second launch trailer. It's a cool clip, but we get the uneasy feeling that the heavy reliance on non-gameplay, first-person action is just a touch misleading. That said, it's just a couple of inches above this sentence, so you can judge for yourself.

BioShock 2 gets midnight release, new launch trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 09:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Interview: 2K Marin creative director Jordan Thomas on BioShock 2

Justin McElroy — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST

We doubt you'll find a less forgiving job in video games than the team who has to take the reins from the driving force behind one of the most beloved titles of the last decade and try to make something of their own. As the creative director of 2K Marin, the studio behind BioShock 2, Jordan Thomas is all too familiar with the challenge. With development now behind him, Thomas took a few moments to tell us how the team kept from soiling themselves, and how they hope to make you do just that, except with excitement.

Joystiq: When you first learned what you'd be tackling, what was the immediate reaction?

Jordan Thomas: It wasn't a big spit-take or anything, I just felt humbled. On the original game, I was a level designer - and believe me, the guys at Irrational hold themselves to such a high creative standard that I can't do it honor in text without sounding like I want to kiss them on the mouth. Some of their games were formative for me, so I was overjoyed to have been involved with BioShock - even in a production role.

2K Marin barely existed at that point, but I told myself that if we were going to carry that legacy with BioShock 2, we'd treat their work with the proper respect. I still find myself thinking, "Gosh, I hope they all have fun" like some addled debutante.

Gallery: BioShock 2

Continue reading Interview: 2K Marin creative director Jordan Thomas on BioShock 2

Interview: 2K Marin creative director Jordan Thomas on BioShock 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bioshock 2 coming to Japan, courtesy of D3 Publisher

David Hinkle — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST

Good news, Japan! D3 Publisher is localizing Bioshock 2 for you and, this time around, you won't have to wait that long to get your ADAM-soaked hands on it. Andriasang reports D3 Publisher will release the 2K Marin, et al.-developed sequel sometime in early 2010 -- presumably close to the February 9 US release date. We just hope the new Japanese ad campaign dials back the completely frightening a bit.

Bioshock 2 coming to Japan, courtesy of D3 Publisher originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BioShock 2 Special Edition vinyl-y announced

Randy Nelson — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:19:00 EST

Click to Big Daddy-size

If you find yourself enraptured by everything BioShock, you're really going to love this. 2K Games has disclosed details on the BioShock 2 Special Edition release, limited to one production run and set for retail on February 9 alongside the slightly-less-special edition we saw the cover art for on Tuesday.

If you're prepared to sink $99 into the set ($89 for PC) you'll be the proud (but poorer) owner of the game, a 164-page hardcover art book, three posters, the orchestral score on CD and the most special goodie accompanying this edition: the orchestral score on a vinyl 180g LP. You know ... a record. You know, big black disc DJs use? Yep, one of those.

This is great news for audiophiles and those who refuse to own a CD player because lasers are obviously some kind of witchcraft.

Gallery: BioShock 2

BioShock 2 Special Edition vinyl-y announced originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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