Posts tagged downloadable content
Review: Red Faction: Guerilla: Demons of the Badlands (Xbox 360)
Oct 19th
It’s hard to review Demons of the Badlands without addressing its parent game, Red Faction: Guerilla. Although Silicon Sasquatch hasn’t published a review, the general consensus is that it delivered an unabashedly fun orgy of destruction in both single player and multiplayer, even if both modes had their limits.
Guerilla launched in early June of this year, and Demons of the Badlands followed in mid-August. Promising new weapons, a new protagonist and a whole new landscape to demolish, it was devised as an encore to a relatively one-of-a-kind experience. In developer Volition’s defense, Demons of the Badlands delivers on exactly what was promised: The add-on feels just as polished and exhilarating as the rest of the game, and the new weapons add a much-needed dash of variety to keep the experience from feeling stale. However, for a ten-dollar add-on, Demons of the Badlands is woefully short, comprising three story missions and eleven side missions that can be completed in a mere two hours.
Review: ION Drum Rocker
Aug 19th
Before we begin, one thing must be accepted as an absolute truth: The ION Drum Rocker is not for everyone. With an asking price of $300, you could purchase a brand new Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 Slim. You could even invest in a full menagerie of fab instruments with The Beatles: Rock Band bundle. And if Snuggies are your thing, well, you’re looking at a couple weeks’ worth of cuddly, cost-efficient warmth.
With its authentic, professional-grade electronic drum pads and cymbals that can be rearranged to the drummer’s every whim, even a casual Rock Band player will find his or her attention seized by the sheer spectacle of the Drum Rocker. But is it the kit for you?
The answer is simple! Just take our three-step quiz:
- If you don’t own a Rock Band game: Please don’t waste another second living under that rock. Kindly redirect your browser here and pick up the Rock Band 1 bundle along with Rock Band 2 and the AC/DC Live Track Pack for a mere $80. Those Rock Band 1 drums will get you acquainted with the basics.
- If you’re a light to moderate Rock Band or Guitar Hero player: You’re better served spending your money on expanding your song or instrument library in a less extravagant fashion. There’s not a single expert drum song that can’t be passed on the stock Rock Band or Guitar Hero drum set, so don’t panic.
- If you’re a super-big Rock Band geek with naïve aspirations of learning how to play a real drum kit (kind of like Neil Peart but without the tragic history and freaky Objectivist lyrics): Oh thank goodness. I’m not alone. You should keep reading this article.
Silicon Sasquatch Podcast #2 – The Summer Drought
Aug 3rd
We’re all familiar with the summer doldrums — the scorching heat, the long days and short nights, and the almost total lack of good games being released in stores. But was it always like this? And thanks to the digital distribution market, are things changing?
Site editors Nick and Aaron were joined by our number-one (and possibly only) fan Tyler for this discussion. Although the show weighs in at a mere 40ish minutes this time around, we did find ourselves sidetracked a few times. It just goes to show that if you get a few nerds together to talk, the discussion will invariably devolve into an argument over which Final Fantasy is the best.
Editor’s Note: It’s Final Fantasy VI.
Guitar Hero 5: Same As It Ever Was?
Jul 14th
Unassuming box art adorns the latest Guitar Hero reprisal. Are we due for some pleasant surprises, or is what we're seeing just what we'll get this September?
I always feel a little guilty for chastising Neversoft’s decisions in guiding the Guitar Hero franchise since it picked up the reins in 2007. It’s almost certain the studio has been under a lot of pressure for years from publisher Activision’s growing dependence on expanding and exploiting franchises at a fever pitch — just look at the decline in quality as the Tony Hawk franchise relentlessly iterated upon itself.
So try to imagine how Neversoft’s staff must have felt when Activision dumped what was arguably the biggest name in gaming fresh into its lap and demanded the biggest, best sequel to be built from scratch in less than a year. That’s probably more or less what happened when Harmonix and Activision/Red Octane parted ways in late 2006.
That’s no mean feat, especially when you consider that Neversoft also had to compete against the Guitar Hero series’ originator, Harmonix, and its debut of the genre-expanding Rock Band franchise. Yet despite better name recognition, higher sales numbers and a marketing campaign to rival MTV/Harmonix’s own, it all comes down to this: Neversoft’s Guitar Hero games just aren’t as good as the Guitar Heros and Rock Bands that Harmonix put out.