First booting it up, I was treated to a first person perspective of getting a stake driven through both hands.  Yes folks, this is going to be a bloody and violent game.  You pick up things as Jackie Estacado once more as you’ve been seemingly captured and crucified by a group who’s looking to reclaim your powers for themselves.  Between the interrogations and beatings, you flashback to earlier events, perhaps eventually leading up to the situation you’re currently in. 

The first gameplay segment is a total Godfather moment as you’re walking through a restaurant and your associate chats up everyone he sees as you make your way to a table in the back where a pair of busty twins awaits you.  Things go south quick as you reach the table when a bullet rips through the skull of one of the twins and a car blasts through the wall.  You live but your right leg is badly burned and in addition to the influx of enemies, the restaurant is in the process of burning down.  You’re given a gun to defend yourself as you’re dragged to the kitchen and potential safety.  It’s a bit after this point in the next couple of gameplay segments that you’re given access to the Darkness powers and introduced to controlling them and gaining essence from kills to upgrade your character.  The story presented in the demo seems pretty compelling and it’s at least interesting.  I wonder if the main game will be told through the flashback style method, or if that was just for demo purposes.

One thing that’s not in short supply in the demo is violence and gore.  Between watching getting a stake driven through your hands, a badly burned leg, impaling a guy with a demon arm, ripping someone in half, and many, many more, prepare yourself for some truly visceral moments.  What’s also cool is that you can pick up objects in the world and use them as projectiles.  I have to admit, it never got old picking up something like a parking meter and launching it like a missile at an enemy and seeing him stuck to the wall.  Plus, being able to rip a car door off and use it as a shield never got old.

Controls are fairly standard for a first person shooter, though I couldn’t shake the feeling that the controls were a tad bit floaty.  Might be a case of just getting used to it though.  The demon powers are pretty cool and were exciting at first but after seeing the animations start to repeat fairly quickly for the brutal execution moves, it lost its charm a bit.  I’m hoping that the final game will have more of them to keep things fresh.  Once I had the darkness powers though, I never felt in danger of dying as I could have the demon arms eat the hearts of downed enemies to replenish my health.  Overpowered?  Maybe. 

The graphic style of the game really impressed me.  It has a definite comic book feel as it features heavy black lines around characters yet maintaining a semi-realisitic look.  It really creates a wonderful looking cel-shaded style that fits the game well.  I know the Darkness is based on a comic book so the cel-shading style in the game really is a cool feature.

Overall, I was impressed by what I played.  Thankfully, the inclusion of the Darkness powers and upgrade system give the game that hook it needs.  You’ll get a good taste of what to expect in the story line with the demo as it jumps around, but thankfully you won’t have to wait too much longer as the full retail verison hits on February 7.

If the rumors are to believed, we’ll be getting the official details straight from Microsoft at this year’s E3 press conference.  That’s not all though as some details about the yet to be named Xbox Next have seemingly been leaked.  First off, it’ll be playing Blu-ray, support DirectX11, 3D, multi-display output, and 1080p HD.  A “Kinect 2″ functionality is also rumored to be integrated directly into the console itself.  Better yet, the GPU will come from the AMD 6000 series.  Mass production of the GPU is scheduled to start sometime at the end of 2012 with a system release date targeted for October/November 2013.

Here’s the odd thing.  Supposedly, it’ll be able to block used games from being played.  Obviously this would be a huge loss to gamers and could potentially anger a large portion who rely on the cheaper priced games.  Not only that, GameStop would certainly be pissed as well as it’s cutting into their business.  I don’t have to say how a move like this helps developers.  Thinking about it, I’m not exactly sure Microsoft could pull this off, but it’s definitely going to be a source of controversy if true.

According to reports, the Xbox 720 will be at least 6 times more powerful than the current 360, which is 4 times as powerful as Nintendo’s WiiU as that is rumored to be 2 times as powerful as the current Xbox.  I’ll let that sink in for a moment as I realized I threw around a lot of numbers.  With Nintendo most likely going to pull the curtain back at E3 this year, hopefully Microsoft will follow suit with their system.  Now the big question is what is Sony got cooking to counter these two.

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations
If you’ve read my blog for any length, you’ll know I’m a huge fan of this franchise.  It also helps that each game has a very strong soundtrack to go along with it.  Revelations was no exception though I will admit that it did take some time before it firmly planted itself into my head.  With the game’s setting turning east towards Constantinople, we get a more exotic feel with a diverse array of music based in Greek, European, and Middle-Eastern regions to help sell the player on the diverse cultures living there.  In addition to the classic instrumentals, you also get action driven beats and electronica sounds mixed together to create some really interesting pieces in the classic Assassin’s Creed style.

Recommended Tracks:
Main Theme
Byzantium
Istanbul
Ambush
The Road To Masyaf

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Okay, so I’m sure we’ve all played this one at this point, so it needs no introduction.  The music is so good that it literally meshes with the gameplay so much that you may not notice it.  I can’t let this go because Skyrim features an astounding score set in motion by composer Jeremy Soule.  Honestly, it could be featured in any medieval fantasy film, it’s that good.  It’s would also cover 4 cds to fit everything from the game.  Featuring a sweeping chorus, strong percussions, intricate orchestra arrangements, and accoustic guitars to give the game that epic feel.

Recommended Tracks:
Dragonborn
Ancient Stones
Death Or Sovngarde
Silent Footsteps

Rayman Origins
While it’s easily the goofiest game of the bunch on this list, that doesn’t mean that the music isn’t as good.  Oh no.  Michel Ancel and his team at UbiSoft managed to deliver a soundtrack that significantly enhances the core gameplay experience and adds to the overall enjoyment of the game.  While it can be a difficult platformer at times, the music will keep you humming along and you’ll even find yourself smiling. No matter how many times you miss that jump.  It’s extremely hard to really describe the overall sound as it just incorporates so much into each song.  You’ll get things like trumpets, banjos, ukuleles, percussions, wind instruments, goofy noises and vocals, etc.  The thing is though, it just works. It works really well.

Recommended Tracks:
Swinging Caves
The Tricky Treasure
Lums of the Water
The Electoons’ Savior
Moskito and the Inferno

Looking forward to the annual Xbox Live Arcade promotions every year?  In a few weeks, Microsoft’s House Party kicks off with 4 very strong titles.  Just recently announced were the scheduling and prices for each title.  So what can you look forward to and how many Microsoft Fun Bucks are you going to need to bring to the party?  Here’s the complete list for your viewing pleasure:

February 15: Warp – 800 points
Warp, brought to life by EA and developer TrapDoor, is a puzzle based stealth action title where you play a little, yet deadly alien looking to settle a score with a General who abducted him from his home world.

February 22: Alan Wake: American Nightmare – 1200 points
Follow-up to the well reviewed horror thriller by the guys over at Remedy, American Nightmare sees the writer Alan Wake fighting against the evil herald of darkness, Mr. Scratch, as Wake tries to take back his life.  In addition to the standalone single player story, you’re also getting a horde like Arcade mode where you have to use the light to survive till dawn.

February 28: Nexuiz – 800 points
Twitch based shooter harkening back to the old school FPS days, this arena based shooter pits two warring factions against one another for the entertainment of the galaxy as they watch along.  According to the description, players will be able to alter the rules and laws of physics while fighting other players in hostile environments.  More importantly?  This downloadable title is using the ridiculously powerful CryEngine3. 

March 7: I Am Alive – 1200 points
The oft delayed UbiSoft survival game finally sees the light of day and rounds out the House Party.  One year after a cataclysmic event rocks the world and wipes out most of the human population, one man searches for his wife and daughter amidst a ruined city, struggling to survive against a changed human condition, crumbling environment, and a choking dust.  This game’s biggest issue?  Mass Effect 3 comes out a day before.

If you head on Xbox Live and go check out the Resident Evil 6 listing on the Marketplace, you’ll see some very interesting features listed there.  Lets first look at the online features shall we?  Microsoft has Resident Evil 6 listed with 8 player online multiplayer and 6 player online co-op.  For those of you that love couch co-op, Capcom also has you covered with offline 2 player co-op as well.  Pretty interesting if you ask me.  Perhaps the 8 player multiplayer could be something similar to the “Mercenaries” modes they’ve been putting out there with recent Resident Evil games? 

Again, this is only an Xbox Marketplace listing…albiet an official one by Microsoft….but until Capcom says “Yay” or “Nay” on this one, I’d file this one in the rumor bin.  Resident Evil 6 is slated for November 20 for the Xbox 360 and PS3.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
My first official Elder Scrolls game to be honest and I’m just astounded by the attention to detail and overall scope. This game is massive.  I have a continually growing quest log that’s borderline overwhelming but completely awesome.  If there’s one thing I’ve learned about myself from Skyrim, it’s that I may have a hoarding tendency buried deep within.  I can’t help picking up everything I come across.  Honestly though, the game will take forever to get through, but it’s something you don’t mind because it’s all around fantastic.  Seriously, the hours just melt away when you have this disk in.  Excuse me, I have to get back being the Dragon Born and saving the land.

Rayman: Origins
An absolute joy to play, it harkens back to the glory days of platformers.  Yes, it will get difficult, but I’ve never found myself wanting to break the disk in half.  Again, I’m less than halfway through so who knows, it may change. Michel Ancel and his team at Ubisoft has created a visually stunning game with the fantastic new UbiArt Framework and I have to mention the goofy yet equally addictive soundtrack.  Go download the demo right now.

NFL Blitz
I’ll admit it, I’m a Blitz junkie.  I’ve put countless hours (and quarters) into the arcade version and also the N64 games as well.  I was pumped when EA announced they were working on an updated version for Xbox Live Arcade and PSN and thankfully, the formula hasn’t changed one bit.  The gameplay is still fast, the hits are still huge, and the game has been updated with more modern game modes including the ability to team up or square off online.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl
After writing about the potential downfall of developer GSC and my relative unfamiliarality with the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series, one of my buddies actually purchased the game via Steam for me.  He’s a huge fan of the franchise and saw an opportunity to convert me.  While I’ve put about an hour and a half into the game, I’m finding it to be a really unique and interesting experience.  It’s a game that is pretty hands off and can be difficult at times, but one that you’ll constantly want to push through to uncover more about what’s going on.  Expect more from me on this one soon.

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations
Yeah, I beat this one a few weeks ago but the updates and changes to multiplayer has really made it a main stay for me.  More game modes, better maps, and a bigger focus on customization has really struck a chord with me.  Plus, there’s much more I need to do on the story side of things as well.  I’m always willing to jump back in the animus.  Bleeding effect and insanity be damned!

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
While I may have completed the campaign a while back, the online is still very much addictive.  It hasn’t stuck with me quite like Uncharted 2, but I’m still having loads of fun.  Luckily for fans, Naughty Dog seems to have an abundance of DLC coming through out the year.  Looks like I’ll be playing this one for quite a while…

Here’s what’s on tap for today’s edition:

Capcom announced Resident Evil 6 kind of under the radar in my opinion this week, but they’ve also released a pretty hefty debut trailer for the game.  I’ve got it waiting for you below.   Darksiders II resurfaced this week with a brand new trailer showing off some new gameplay and more information on the world that Death will be in.  Curious about the story line in the upcoming Soul Calibur V?  There’s a brand new trailer with your name on it below the break.  Bioware also released a brand new trailer showing off just how Kinect will be working with Mass Effect 3 and I have to admit, I’m pretty intrigued.  Check it out for yourself below.  Rockstar unleashed a brand new Max Payne 3 trailer below showing off some weapons and the targeting system you’ll be using in the game.  I’ve also got new trailers for Iron Brigade, Yakuza: Dead Souls, I Am Alive and so much more after the break, so kick you feet up and come check out this week’s batch of trailers!

Videos are after the jump.

SSX – Online Features Trailer

Street Fighter X Tekken – New Fighters Gameplay

Max Payne 3 – Targeting and Weapons Trailer

Soul Calibur V - Story Trailer

Resident Evil 6 - Debut Trailer

Syndicate – Co-Op Demo Trailer

Mass Effect 3 – Better With Kinect Feature

Yakuza: Dead Souls – Friends and Shotguns Trailer

Iron Brigade - DLC Trailer

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning - Art Design Feature

Fallout: New Vegas - Ultimate Edition Trailer

Darksiders II - Death Rises Dev Diary

I Am Alive – Encounters Feature

So what did I think?  Kingdoms of Amalur is awesome.  Let me explain…

First booting it up, Reckoning gives off a strong Fable type of look and feel.  The only thing is, Reckoning strips out all of the fluff like character dancing, so in many ways, this is a much more mature and adult version of Fable.  Overall, Reckoning seems like a strong mix between the previously mentioned Fable and Dragon Age 2 only the combat is way better here than in those games.  It’s got an action-y vibe as the combat is fast, fluid, and looks fantastic.  It takes the quick switching system used in Fable 3 and basically blows it out of the water.  You can assign a weapon to a face button, with the Xbox seeing the primary weapon attached to the ‘X’ button, the secondary weapon mapped to the ‘Y’ button and the right trigger giving you access to a different set of abilities.  You can switch on the fly with the game being very fluid and responsive to what you want to do.  The great thing is you can basically map any weapon you want as Primary/Secondary as they’re not labeled specifically. 

What’s also really interesting is the inclusion of the “Reckoning” ability which basically puts your character into an overdrive state.  As you dispatch enemies, a meter will rise and once it’s full you can activate this ability which will increase your speed, damage, and also finish off enemies in a very spectacular way.  These finish moves award you bonus experience based on how well you do with a very short quick time button event.  I’m not a huge QTE guy, but I found these segments more fun than annoying.  Plus, you don’t lose anything for not doing it.  It’s all just for bonus XP.

The part that really excites me with Reckoning is that you’re not locked into a specific class or play style like a typical MMO or RPG.  Yes, you can specialize a certain way, but if you get bored, you can certainly take your character in a different direction.  It’s all how you make it.  You get the tutorial zone and then an extra 45 minutes to walk around the world as you want.  You won’t be able to really dive into the character progression, but you’ll see enough to get a feel for what you can do.

Every time you level, you’re given access to a fate card which essentially acts as your class.  You can pick finesse (rogue), casting (mage), or focus on strength (melee).  As you grow a particular tree, additional tiers will open.  Again, you’re not locked in to your first choice.  Leveling will also give you a point to spend on secondary abilities like stealth, alchemy, blacksmithing, etc.  Finally, you have classic skill trees which you can dump points into based on how you want to play. 

As you know, playing the Reckoning demo will get you Mass Effect 3 gear.  That’s all well and good, but in another pleasant surprise, doing things in the demo will also grant you items you can use in the actual retail version of the game.  I find it great that a company encourages players with free items just for playing their demo.  It’s a great move with no cost and a massive upside.  Giving me free stuff makes me want to buy your product.  it really is a win-win for everybody.  I hope this trend continues.

Overall, I was very impressed with Reckoning as the demo gave me plenty of content to digest.  There’s plenty of side quests to undertake, a wealth of customization options, and plenty of loot for you to uncover.  The combat is fast, fluid, and very dynamic making for a very rewarding and fun experience.  With R.A. Salvatore behind the story and universe’s lore, you know there will be a rich story waiting here for you as well.  I personally can’t wait to jump in on Feb 7.

Coming up next in the DLC pile for Uncharted 3 is a couple of character packs which include some of the devious and minor characters from previous games in the series.  A Donut pack is also on the way and you’ll be seeing some of your favorite characters giant-sized, including Sully.

Here’s some news for you Fortune Hunter Club members out there.  Initially, picking up this “season pass” saved you 45% from the seven DLC packs.  They’ve now reworked it so you’re getting double that (14 total packs) for an even bigger savings of 60%.  Not too shabby right?  They’ve also teased a possible single player DLC…I think anyway, so don’t hold me to that.  No word yet on the details or potential release dates, but as soon as I now, you’ll know.

So who gets in and when?  Well, if you picked up a copy of Uncharted 3 this past November in the US, look inside and you’ll see a code for this very beta.  For you, you’ll be able to get in with that code on January 31.  On February 7, if you visit the Facebook pages of Playstation and Gamestop, code will be given away for access.  IGN will be giving away codes on February 14 and finally, if you’re still unlucky enough to be without a code, all PSN users can jump in on February 21.  No word yet on when the beta ends, but I’d imagine it would be sometime after Feb 21.  Most likely a few days after. 

So, what should you expect in the beta?  Well, details are still sketchy at best, but it has been confirmed that more game modes and content will be unlocked than what you saw (or didn’t see I should say) in the Private Beta.  Lightbox has also said that they’re going to be constantly updating content based on feedback, so it sounds like we’ll be getting a good amount of variety.

Also, do remember that this isn’t a demo for the game.  You’re going to run into bugs or issues.  If you can, try reporting some of these things as well.  You’ll be helping not only the developer in it’s troubleshooting process, but you’ll be making the end product better for all of us.  I’ll have hands on impressions and thoughts in a few weeks on this title once I get some quality time with it.